Education
Ph.D. in Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, expected 2023
M.A. in Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, May 2020
B.S. Physics (Astrophysics) with Highest Honors, University of California, Santa Cruz, August 2018
Summa cum laude, Dean’s Award for Outstanding Senior Thesis, GPA: 4.0
A.A. Mathematics, A.S. Physics, West Valley College, May 2015
Honor Graduate, Dean’s List, GPA: 4.0
Research Interests
Theoretical and computational astrophysics with an emphasis on the assembly and evolution of compact binaries and on late-stage evolution of massive stars.
Awards and Scholarships
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, 2020-2023
Berkeley Graduate Fellow, 2018-2020
Barry Goldwater Scholarship, 2017
Elmer A. Fridley Scholarship in the Physical Sciences, UCSC Division of Physical & Biological Sciences, 2017
UROP Undergraduate Research Scholarship, California Space Grant Consortium, 2017
UROP Undergraduate Research Scholarship, California Space Grant Consortium, 2016
Undergraduate Research in the Sciences Award, UCSC Division of Physical & Biological Sciences, 2016
Regents Scholarship, University of California Regents, 2015 – 2017
Journal Publications
Soumi De, Morgan MacLeod, Rosa Wallace-Everson, Andrea Antoni, Ilya Mandel, & Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz. Common Envelope Wind Tunnel: The Effects of Binary Mass Ratio and Implications for the Accretion-Driven Growth of LIGO Binary Black Holes. The Astrophysical Journal, 897, 2 (2020). [ADS]
Andrea Antoni, Morgan MacLeod, & Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz. The Evolution of Binaries in a Gaseous Medium: Three-Dimensional Simulations of Binary Bondi-Hoyle-Lyttleton Accretion. The Astrophysical Journal, 884, 22 (2019). [ADS]
Nicolas Kaaz, Andrea Antoni, & Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz. Bondi-Hoyle-Lyttleton Accretion onto Star Clusters. The Astrophysical Journal, 876, 142 (2019). [ADS]
Morgan MacLeod, Andrea Antoni, Ariadna Murguia-Berthier, Phillip Macias, & Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz. Common Envelope Wind Tunnel: Coefficients of Drag and Accretion in a Simplified Context for Studying Flows Around Objects Embedded Within Stellar Envelopes. The Astrophysical Journal, 838, 56 (2017). [ADS]
Ariadna Murguia-Berthier, Morgan MacLeod, Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz, Andrea Antoni, & Phillip Macias. Accretion Disk Assembly During Common Envelope Evolution: Implications for Feedback and LIGO Binary Black Hole Formation. The Astrophysical Journal, 845, 173 (2017). [ADS]
Presentations
Poster, The Evolution of Binaries in a Gaseous Medium, Space Telescope Institute Spring Symposium, 2019
Talk, The Evolution of Binaries in a Gaseous Medium, GAFD Seminar, Department of Applied Math and Statistics, UCSC, 2018
Talk, The Evolution of Binaries in a Gaseous Medium, Ciera Theory Group, Northwestern University, 2018
Poster, Bondi-Hoyle-Lyttleton Accretion onto Binaries, 231st meeting of the American Astronomical Society, 2017
Talk, Common Envelope Wind Tunnel: Coefficients of Drag and Accretion in a Simplified Context for Studying Flows Around Objects Embedded Within Stellar Envelopes, Astronomy Department Coffee, UCSC, 2017
Informal talk, Binary Bondi-Hoyle-Lyttleton Accretion: Simulation Setup and First Results, Astronomy Department Journal Club, Institute for Advanced Study, 2017
Poster, Drag-Induced Orbital Decay during Common Envelope, STEM Transfer Day, UCSC, 2017
Talk, Dynamical Friction, Donor Visit, SLUG Lab, UCSC, 2017
Poster, Drag-Induced Orbital Decay during Common Envelope, Undergraduate Research Symposium, UCSC, 2016
Informal talk, Dynamical Friction Calculations in Common Envelope, Computational Astrophysics Seminar Hour, UCSC, 2016
Poster, How does a moving mass accrete matter from its environment?, Undergraduate Research Symposium, UCSC, 2015
Research History
Graduate Student Researcher, UC Berkeley, Advisor: Eliot Quataert, 2018 –
Undergraduate Researcher, UC Santa Cruz, Advisors Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz and Morgan Macleod, 2015 – 2018
Undergraduate Fellow, Kavli Summer Program in Astrophysics: Astrophysics with Gravitational Wave Detections, 2017
Summer Research Fellow, Lamat Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU), Advisors: Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz and Jill Naiman, 2015
Academic Service & Outreach
Mentor, CalBridge 2019
Mentor, Berkeley Compass Project, 2019
Astronomy Demo Volunteer, CalDay, UC Berkeley, 2019
Panelist, Women in STEM conference, West Valley College, 2019
Speaker, Girls Paving the Way (Lakeview Middle School Chapter), 2018
Host, STEM Transfer Day Lab Tours, SLUG Lab, UCSC, 2018
Mentor, SPS / WiPA Physics Mentoring Program, UCSC, 2018
Panelist, STEM Transfer Day Student Panel, UCSC, 2017
Host, Watsonville High School Tours, SLUG Lab, UCSC, 2017
Director, UCSC Supercomputer Lab for Undergraduates, 2016 – 2018
Host, Astronomy Department External Review Committee, SLUG Lab, UCSC, 2016
Member, Lamat REU Selection Committee, UCSC, 2016
Math Tutor, West Valley College Math Resource Center, Subjects: Arithmetic, Algebra, Calculus (I, II, III), Differential Equations, Linear Algebra, 2012 – 2015
Member, Student Learning and Program Effectiveness Committee, West Valley College, 2015
Co-President, Graphic Designer, Webmaster, West Valley STEM Club, 2014
Organizer, STEM Fair, West Valley College, 2014
Press Releases
“Shooting for the stars,” Dan White, UC Santa Cruz Magazine, October 2018. [article]
“Undergrad wins prestigious Goldwater Scholarship,” Tim Stephens, April 2017.
[article]
Last updated April 2019