Graduating Student Spotlight: Hayden Marchinek
Hayden Marchinek graduates this spring with a BS in Physics and Astr
As Hayden Marchinek prepares to graduate with a degree in Physics and Astronomy, he reflects on highlights from his time at Steward Observatory, including helping develop the SHIMCO sounding rocket as a NASA Space Grant Intern. Read his full interview below.
What brought you to Steward Observatory?
I initially began my academic and research career with a strong interest in particle physics, particularly in understanding high energy physical events at the most fundamental scales. During my time at the University of Arizona, I realized that many of these extreme processes can be, and are being, studied observationally through astrophysical systems such as black holes, neutron stars, and other high-energy environments. This was my first introduction into astrophysics. At the same time, my longstanding interest in building and creating, through LEGO as a child or robotics later on, has always been a central part of who I am. That passion has found a natural home in instrumentation, where I can both design and construct systems to fuel our ongoing journey of understanding the universe.
Can you describe your research and any especially interesting learning experiences you’ve had during your time here?
Over the last four years, I have been a part of several research projects across observational astronomy, experimental physics and instrumentation. As a NASA Space Grant Intern, I had the opportunity to participate in the development of the SHIMCO sounding rocket, where I contributed to the construction of the data acquisition and processing pipeline on the rocket as well as prototyped the mission's optical instrument. I was also selected for the TIMESTEP Astronomical Software Engineering internship, where I worked on the development of software tools for the management and analysis of large scale astrophysical datasets for the Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration. Finally, for my undergraduate honors thesis, I contributed to the design and development of the ALLEGRO end-cap calorimeter for the proposed Future electron-positron Circular Collider (FCCee).
What's your greatest point of pride from your time at Steward?
My greatest point of pride from my time at Steward has been discovering both my passion and my capacity as a researcher. Through my experiences at the University of Arizona, I’ve grown more comfortable contributing to collaborative research while also developing the ability to independently approach complex problems, troubleshoot when things inevitably go wrong and professionally present my work when a discovery is made. These experiences have opened doors to various internships and ultimately led to my acceptance into graduate school, where I look forward to continuing my research at a higher level in areas that genuinely excite me.
Can you share piece of wisdom from your time as an astronomy student?
Getting stuck is perhaps the most natural part of any research project. The biggest piece of wisdom I can share from my time as an astronomy student (particularly in instrumentation) is to not be afraid to test a solution, no matter how unlikely it may seem. Some of most impactful jumps in progress I have made with my projects came from moments when I was completely stuck and chose to experiment rather than immediately seek help. Taking initiative, whether by taking the time to build a new component or writing a piece of code that may or may not work, has led me to several unexpected breakthroughs as a researcher.
What’s next?
Next year I will begin my PhD in Astrophysics at Montana State University where I will be working with Dr. Hang Yu on better understanding the interesting physics in the formation and evolution of Neutron Stars as well as contributing to the calibration of the LIGO gravitational wave detector.
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.