Emma Bacarra
Hi everyone, my name is Emma Bacarra! I’m a second-year student at the University of Washington majoring in astronomy and physics. My hometown is in the metropolitan area of Washington, D.C. I love all things astronomy/physics related, from general relativity to astrophotography and everything in between! In the future, I would love to direct research on the quantum mechanics of black holes – but for now, I look forward to learning the fundamentals of research with a mentor and assisting in a research project. Outside of school, I love to dance, draw, and cook; I’m always up to trying new things, whether it be a new dance style or a dinner recipe!
Riley Baker
Hi! My name is Riley and I’m a freshman from the Bay Area, California. I’ve been fascinated by space and the universe for as long as I can remember; I’ve also always loved math, science, and questioning how and why things happen. As of now, I plan to double major in physics and astronomy and pursue this passion professionally. I’m excited for this class to give me an inside look into the process of doing astronomy research. Outside of academics, I enjoy concerts, hanging out with my friends, beach days, music, nighttime, Netflix, and exploring new places.
Liam Becker
Hi, I’m Liam Becker, a freshman at UW planning on majoring in both Astronomy and Physics. I’ve always been interested in space for as long as I can remember, but once I started taking physics in high school and the astronomy event in Science Olympiad, I’ve grown to love learning about the way the universe works and exploring the complexities of space. This past summer, I organized several stargazing events with friends and family during meteor showers and, while vacationing in Hawai’i, had the opportunity to go to the summit of Mauna Kea and stargaze in the darkest sky I’ve ever seen. I can’t wait to get started on research this year and see what’s in store from my future in the Astronomy Department!
Rowan Brown
Hello! My name is Rowan Brown, and I’m currently a first year at UW. I intend to apply for a double major in astronomy/physics. I was born in Colorado, but moved to western Washington when I was 9 years old (so as an 18 year old, I’ve spent a perfect split in both states!). My love of astronomy started with sci-fi and then developed into something bigger with the discovery of cool topics like theoretical physics and black holes! I’m most excited to get hands-on experience with research and to have the opportunity to work with other astronomy students, but outside of school I like to try out new arts & crafts, explore/hike, and play video games.
John Delker
Hey, I’m John. It’s my first quarter at UW, but I’m a third year transfer student just starting in the Astronomy major. I plan to double major in Astronomy and Physics, then continue on to grad school to get a PhD. For the last 10 years I’ve worked as a freelance game programmer, but in 2020 I decided to change careers to something I was more passionate about. I’m interested in just about every area of Astrophysics, but I’m most interested in Dark Matter and Dark Energy research. In my free time, I like to play video games, read, dabble in Astrophotography, hike, and spend time with my spouse.
Mia Escobar
Hi my name is Mia and I am from Tacoma Washington. I’m hoping to go into Physics and Astronomy and I have loved space ever since I can remember. Besides Astronomy I also play the Cello and love to read and draw. I hope that this will be one of the opportunities that will set me up to succeed in this field in the future!
Jimmy Fowler
Hello! My name is Jimmy and I am a first-year student interested in astronomy and physics. I have a lot of interests/hobbies that include playing the drums, piano, soccer, volleyball, and rock climbing. I grew up in Lacey/Olympia, WA, and I have always been super interested in outer space. I am incredibly excited to do my own research in Pre-MAP, and hopefully turn my passion for space into a lifelong journey of cosmic discovery!
Tim Kaestle
Hello! My name is Tim Kaestle and I am a new post-baccalaureate student at UW. I could not be more excited to join the Astronomy undergraduate community at UW, and I believe the Pre-MAP program is a great introduction. While I was born and raised in Seattle, I received my first bachelor’s degree in Colorado and worked in public accounting in Denver for two years. Outside of school I am an avid skier (how I ended up in Colorado in the first place), and in the summer an active member of more than one co-ed kickball/softball/soccer team. On the weekend you can find me and my friends at any one of the innumerable Ballard breweries.
Anais Martin
Greetings, all! As you might have gathered, my name is Anaïs. Seattle has always been my home, but my dad hails from France and I do my best to stay in touch with my relatives across the sea. I’ve been taken with the far universe ever since middle school, when I would pour over Wikipedia’s list of exotic stars and imagine them as characters in a story, acting out the greatest drama the cosmos has ever seen. I’m excited to expand my knowledge of the stars while also trying my hand at some real research. When I’m not studying, I’m probably wandering through Discovery Park, listening to fiction podcasts, or (lovingly) antagonizing my two cats.
Anika Paudel
Hello everyone! My name is Anika Paudel and I’m a first year student at the UW. I hope to double major in Astronomy and Physics, which is a subject I’ve always loved. The way I see it, the only other places left for humans to explore are space and the ocean, and the ocean makes me nervous. How could I resist the chance to learn more about the cosmos? When I’m not contemplating the universe, I like to listen and play music – I play guitar, piano, and violin. I also love to cook, grow plants, and read: I just finished reading Circe by Madeline Miller (it was extremely good). I’m excited to be a part of this group and learn about the process of astrophysics research!
Elizabeth Pawelka
Greetings! My name is Elizabeth Pawelka and I am a UW Freshman from the Lacey/Olympia area of Washington State. During high school and community college (yes, I did both at the same time), I was able to further explore potential fields of interest in a setting more catered to identity development and expression and eventually uncovered a love of piecing the universe together through a mathematical and physical lens. My love for astronomy was also recently discovered last year with Tacoma Astronomical Society, a nonprofit public education outreach group dedicated to teaching about exoplanets, spacecraft missions, history and navigation of the constellations, and other topics in physics and astronomy. Not to mention I grew up fascinated by various theories about the Moon, myths, and how we came to be suggested on History Channel’s Ancient Aliens. Each of these experiences has led me to strive for a double major in Physics and Astronomy with hopes of becoming a traveling astrophysicist researcher and eventual professor. As such, I joined the Pre-Map Program to further my knowledge and research skill set when it comes to the field of astronomy. When I am not thinking about particles or colonizing Mars, you can find me enjoying a hot cup of tea watching Asian dramas, reading a good romance novel, or brainstorming for a book of my own that has yet to come to fruition.
Leah Peterson
Hi, my name is Leah Peterson so and I am a first-year student at UW. I grew up in Bellevue, Washington and I plan on double majoring in Astronomy and Physics. I have always been fascinated with anything that has to do with space and PreMAP is my first real astronomy class, so I am super excited for what’s to come! Outside of school I enjoy hiking, rock climbing, skiing, and reading and I am also in choir and marching band.
Pranathi Ramesh
Hello! My name is Pranathi Ramesh and I’m a sophomore here at UW. I’m from Redmond, Washington and I plan on double majoring in Physics and Astronomy as well as getting a minor in Chemistry. I’ve always loved space and astronomy, so all it took was two weeks in an astronomy class my freshman year to make me decide to study it. Outside of school I love playing the viola, experimenting with makeup, listening to music and catching up on the latest chapter of One Piece 🙂
Marina Sallis:
Hey, my name is Marina! I am a transfer student from Olympic College. I am planning on majoring in Physics and Astronomy. I have always loved the stars, I can remember begging my dad to walk with me down our road to look at the stars basically every night, luckily he loved going with me and overtime we memorized tons of constellations. I’ve had a passion for astronomy since I was young and I am so excited to finally begin my journey here at UW. Outside of school I love reading, playing video games, and hanging out with my friends.
Cyrus Taidi
Hello, my name is Cyrus and I was born and raised here in Seattle. Currently, I am a junior transfer student from Bellevue community college starting my first year here at the University of Washington. For as long as I can recall I have been fascinated by space. Therefore, I am attempting to major in astronomy. I want to enrich my understand of the universe we live in by studying this major.
Miguel Varanda
Hello, my name is Miguel Varanda. I’m a freshman at the University of Washington and I intend to major in astronomy and astrobiology. Ever since I was young, I’ve been intrigued by the things in the sky, the stars, the moon, and the planets. They’re not just a spectacle to look at but also fascinating to learn about. So, it was only a matter of time before I wanted to learn more and help contribute to this field of study myself! In my free time, I play video games, watch YouTube and stargaze with my telescope. I’m really looking forward to Pre-MAP this quarter and all the new things I’m going to learn!
Joseph Yared
Hey! My name’s Joseph, but my friends (you included) call me Joe. I’m a third-year undergraduate student studying Astronomy with a minor in Informatics. I was born and raised here in the Pacific Northwest and my hobbies include cooking, hiking, and working out! My passion for space was sparked at a rather young age so when I graduated high school I knew I wanted to pursue the field at a higher level. I’m excited to be a part of this program and pursue research to not only satiate my own curiosity but to hopefully be able to be a part of something that impacts others in a positive manner. If you see me around campus don’t be afraid to say hello!
Joseph Yared
Hey! My name’s Joseph, but my friends (you included) call me Joe. I’m a third-year undergraduate student studying Astronomy with a minor in Informatics. I was born and raised here in the Pacific Northwest and my hobbies include cooking, hiking, and working out! My passion for space was sparked at a rather young age so when I graduated high school I knew I wanted to pursue the field at a higher level. I’m excited to be a part of this program and pursue research to not only satiate my own curiosity but to hopefully be able to be a part of something that impacts others in a positive manner. If you see me around campus don’t be afraid to say hello!