Graduating Student Spotlight: Chase Cooper
Chase Cooper graduates this spring with a BS in Astronomy
As Chase Cooper prepares to graduate with his BS in Astronomy, he reflects on highlights from his time at Steward Observatory, including publishing his own first-author paper. Read his full interview below.
What brought you to Steward Observatory?
Being a TA for the introductory astronomy class! I used to be a linguistics major when I got a job as a TA for Dr. Prather in ASTR 170B, which made me fall in love with space again, so I switched to studying astronomy.
Can you describe your research and any especially interesting learning experiences you’ve had during your time here?
I get to do research on exoplanet characterization, where I use objects in the Solar System as analogues for exoplanets and investigate how their surfaces and atmospheres influence their brightness and color. I also do research modeling the atmospheres of potentially habitable planets.
What's your greatest point of pride from your time at Steward?
I am really proud of just how much I've accomplished in my 3 years at Steward, including publishing my own first-author paper!
Can you share piece of wisdom from your time as an astronomy student?
Making friends with the people in your major was incredibly important to me: you have a group of people who are taking the same classes as you, working on similar projects as you, maybe doing research like you, etc. and so they also have many of the same concerns/struggles that you do. Y'all can then help and support each other as you navigate a program that can be quite difficult at times. Having those folks to commiserate with, and succeed with, makes a world of difference.
What’s next?
Grad school! I love getting to do cutting-edge research in astronomy and planetary science, and I wanna keep doing it. I'd really like to be a professor at some point so I can continue to do this work as well as teach others.
We’re excited to celebrate our students who graduated this semester. 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.
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