Graduating Student Spotlight: Charity Woodrum
Charity Woodrum graduates this spring with her PhD in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Charity Woodrum’s story is full of hard blows and extraordinary successes: she was the first in her family to graduate from high school, and unfathomable tragedy struck when she lost both her husband and young son in an accident. With the help of mentors, childhood friends and strangers, she turned her attention to astronomy, and she found her way to Steward Observatory to work with Dr. Marcia Rieke as part of the James Webb Space Telescope NIRCam team. Her story is captured in an acclaimed documentary called Space, Hope and Charity.
As Charity prepares to graduate with her PhD in Astronomy & Astrophysics, she reflects on her time at Steward Observatory. Her advice for other astronomy students: “Seek out collaborative environments and people. I chose Steward because of how collaborative the department is, and it was the best decision I could have made for my career and my personal life.”
Read Charity’s full interview below.
What brought you to Steward Observatory?
While working as a registered nurse, I started reading popular science books, such as by Carl Sagan, to get my mind off of the emotionally difficult situations I was witnessing. I fell in love with astronomy and decided to pursue this passion as a career.
Can you describe your research and any especially interesting learning experiences you’ve had during your time here?
The field of galaxy evolution seeks to understand how galaxies form and evolve across cosmic time. Some of the most fundamental questions remain unknown, for example, how do star-forming galaxies grow in stellar mass? And why do quiescent galaxies stop forming stars (quench)? My research investigates what drives this stellar mass growth and galaxy quenching.
What's your greatest point of pride from your time at Steward?
I am most proud of the relationships and collaborations I've formed at Steward. It has been such an honor to work alongside and be mentored by some of the most amazing astronomers in the field, especially my PhD advisor Professor Marcia Rieke.
Can you share piece of wisdom from your time as an astronomy student?
Seek out collaborative environments and people. I chose Steward because of how collaborative the department is and it was the best decision I could have made for my career and my personal life.
What’s next?
I will be working at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center as a postdoctoral fellow with the James Webb Space Telescope team.
As the semester approaches its end, we’re excited to celebrate our students who will be graduating in May. Stayed tuned for more Spotlight profiles on Steward Observatory graduates, and follow our social media channels for more insight into the lives of our students, staff and faculty.