I'm an astronomy and astrophysics graduate student at UCLA working towards my PhD. Research, teaching, and outreach take up much of my time, but I try to balance those things by hanging out with my girlfriend (Katie) and our dog (Murphy). I also have a variety of interests and hobbies with which I keep myself amused and relaxed.

Interests

Sports and athletics are how I spend much of my free time. I've been playing soccer for 20+ years and still play regularly. It's probably the best way I shed stress and stay in shape. My other sporting activities include softball, volleyball, dodgeball, and pretty much anything else I can find.

Perhaps equally valuable as athletics is the time I spend at the beach, either catching some waves, going for a swim, or just reading on the sand. I grew up around the ocean and find it to be incredibly soothing for both mind and body.

My other interests include cooking, reading, gardening, rooting for the New York Yankees, speaking Italian, and many more things that I wish I had more time to do.

Background

I was born and raised in Bellmore, NY, a town on the south shore of Long Island. I went to John F. Kennedy High School there and then attended Georgetown University, where I earned a B.S. in physics as an undergraduate. During the spring semester of my junior year in college, I studied abroad in Milan, Italy. After graduation, I took a year off from formal schooling to do astrophysics research at NYU. I began studying at UCLA in the fall of 2009 and I've been there ever since!