Mark G
- Research Program Mentor

PhD candidate at University of Pennsylvania (UPenn)

Expertise

Astrophysics, Astronomy, Exoplanets, Python programming

Bio

Hi! I'm Mark, a 4th year Graduate Student of Astrophysics at the University of Pennsylvania. I'm passionate about doing science and working with students who feel the same! I have completed numerous research projects in physics and astronomy, including a handful of peer-reviewed publications. I enjoy cooking, playing sports, and traveling. I currently mentor a couple of undergraduate students and one graduate student. I have plenty of experience tutoring, and really enjoy networking with students who show an enthusiasm for science and research. Let's get connected!

Project ideas

Project ideas are meant to help inspire student thinking about their own project. Students are in the driver seat of their research and are free to use any or none of the ideas shared by their mentors.

Recovering Planets and Finding Trends from TESS Data

TESS (the Transiting Exoplanet Sky Survey) is one of the largest exoplanet surveys in the history of the field. It hunts for planets by staring at stars and waiting for planets to pass by in view of. the telescope. Fortunately for scientists, the data is made public, and is therefore viewable by anybody! The interested student would analyze a number of data samples from this survey to recover known exoplanets (or planets orbiting stars outside our solar system) and consider these planets in the scope of all known exoplanets.

Coding skills

Python

Teaching experience

I have mentored a couple of lower-level graduate students on their personal research projects, have TA'd classes totaling more than 100 undergraduate students, and have walked with more than 10 undergraduate physics majors though their graduate application process to physics programs. I am a current mentor to 5 undergraduates and 1 graduate student.

Credentials

Work experience

University of Pennsylvania (2018 - Current)

Graduate Research Assistant

Education

Drexel University

BS Bachelor of Science (2018)

Physics

University of Pennsylvania (UPenn)

MS Master of Science (2020)

Astrophysics