Graduating Student Spotlight: Paulina Soto Robles
Paulina Soto Robles graduates this year with her Bachelor’s of Science in Astronomy.
As Paulina Soto Robles prepares to graduate with her Astronomy degree, she reflects on highlights from her time at Steward Observatory. Read her full interview below.
What brought you to astronomy, and to Steward Observatory?
I wanted to better understand our place in the universe, through the study of what the cosmos has to offer. Exoplanets have always captivated me. How many planets like ours are there, if any? How can we observe them and analyze them?
Can you describe your research and any especially interesting learning experiences you’ve had during your time here?
During my time here at Steward, I have been part of three fascinating research projects. The first one concerning gravitational lensing, a great resource that allows us to appreciate the magnitude of the gravitational force, and facilitates certain observations in faraway cosmic objects. The second and third project concerned exoplanet research, through 2 very different scopes: atmospheres and demographics. I have had the opportunity to better understand the chemistry and physics going on brown dwarfs, as well as better constraint the planetary demographics of small planets, while using two different detection methods (transits and radial velocity) and seeking to also better constraint Mass-Radius Relationships of such different surveys.
What's your greatest point of pride from your time at Steward?
Being able to operate the Raymond E. White 21'' Telescope for over 2 years and teach our community about the mysteries and wonders our universe holds. Through this experience, I got to meet amazing people and find my place in this field!
Can you share piece of wisdom from your time as an astronomy student?
If you look at the sky for long enough, you might find pieces of yourself that you have struggled to unravel.
What’s next?
I plan to continue doing exoplanet research and pursue my Astronomy PhD starting next fall. In the long run, I would love to share the knowledge I have gathered throughout all these years (and the years to come) with the people in the community, especially the minorities whose dreams might seem unattainable or irrelevant, since I know the feeling and I am here to help them along the way.
We’re excited to celebrate our students who are graduating 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.