Research
I study the characteristics and evolution of nearby star-forming galaxies. 'Nearby' implies closer than about 30 Mpc, a distance that takes light 100 million years to traverse. My research has utilized space-based telescopes and observatories in Arizona, California, Hawaii, New Mexico, West Virginia, Wyoming, Chile, and Puerto Rico.
Lately my research has focused on leveraging images and spectra from space-based telescopes like James Webb, Hubble, Spitzer, GALEX, and Herschel. My projects include PHANGS, SINGS, LVL, 5MUSES, EDGES, LEGUS, and KINGFISH. My favorite topics:
Dust emission from galaxies. I measure the continuum brightness of galaxies at multiple wavelengths, and combine them to form pseudo-spectra known as spectral energy distributions. I have used these photometric data to calibrate semi-empirical models of dust emission in galaxies. Recent JWST efforts constrain PAH emission in nearby galaxies.
Star-forming vs AGN diagnostics. I have used my dust models as well as optical/infrared emission lines to develop spectral diagnostics that distinguish between galaxies powered by AGN and those dominated by star formation. Example papers are from the 5MUSES and SINGS projects.
Star formation in galaxies. I study the star formation properties of nearby galaxies. Example papers are from the KINGFISH and LVL projects.
Stellar clusters. My students have recently concentrated on measuring the ages and masses of stellar clusters within local volume galaxies.
Interstellar medium. My students and I have investigated the ISM including the origins of [CII] emission.