“From Star Stuff to Life”
Kristen Garofali, University of Washington, Astronomy, 2012-2015, Nancy & Doug Norberg ARCS Endowment (2nd) Fellow
Kristen is a PhD candidate in the Department of Astronomy, where she studies high-energy astronomy. In her research, she is interested in studying the evolution of massive stars by observing populations of objects like high-mass X-ray binaries and supernova remnants, using both the Chandra and Hubble Space Telescopes. Originally from Michigan, Kristen received a Bachelor of Science in Astrophysics and Physics from Michigan State University before joining the Department of Astronomy in2012. In addition to her research, she was previously an instructor at the Robinson Center for Young Scholars as part of their Saturday Enrichment Program, and was an instructor for the Pre-MAP seminar in the fall of 2015. Kristen is also a co-organizer for Astronomy on Tap Seattle and the coordinator for the UW Planetarium.
“Timing is Everything: Circadian Disruption Across the Lifespan”
Naomi K. Wallace, Washington State University, Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, 2015-2018 ARCS Foundation Seattle Fellow
Naomi is a second year student working on her PhD in Neuroscience. She earned her BS in Psychology with a concentration in Cognitive Neuroscience from the University of Denver. Naomi completed an undergraduate senior thesis on the relationships among socioeconomic status, sleep problems and mental health in 8- to 10-year-old children. Today, she studies the effects of circadian disruption on metabolism, working memory, and neurodevelopment. After she completes her PhD, Naomi hopes to continue working in research and communicating science to the general public. In her free time, Naomi enjoys cooking and playing musical instruments.