We are a graduate-student powered initiative.
GRAD-MAP is led by a team of graduate students from the Astronomy and Physics Departments at the University of Maryland, with support from faculty and staff in both departments, as well as many volunteers (students, researchers, and faculty) from both departments and across the University of Maryland’s campus. GRAD-MAP began in 2013, when graduate students worked to develop a program to change the status quo in physics and astronomy. (Image: GRAD-MAP founders: Dr. Ashlee Wilkins (left), Dr. Katie Jameson (center), and Dr. Alex McCormick (right).)
Physics PhD Student
Particle astrophysics
Astronomy PhD Student
High energy astrophysics
Astronomy PhD Candidate
Computational astrophysics, galaxies
Astronomy PhD Candidate
Computational astrophysics, exoplanets
Astronomy PhD Student
Computational astrophysics, galaxies
Benedikt has served as the faculty liaison for GRAD-MAP since 2022.
Role: Assistant Professor, Department of Astronomy
Daniel has worked with GRAD-MAP since 2022. He is also the program director of the TREND REU program hosted by IPST.
Role: Senior Faculty Specialist, Department of Physics
Exoplanets
Role: Postdoctoral Associate, Department of Astronomy
Radio Astronomy, Galaxies
Role: Professor, Department of Astronomy
Particle astrophysics
Role: Distinguished University Professor, Department of Physics
Exoplanets
Role: Assistant Professor, Department of Astronomy
Complex Systems
Role: Professor, Department of Physics
Exoplanets
Role: Postdoctoral Associate, Department of Astronomy
Biophysics
Role: Professor, Department of Physics
Small Bodies
Role: Postdoctoral Associate, Department of Astronomy
Role: PhD Student, Department of Astronomy
Role: PhD Candidate, Department of Astronomy
Jacob has volunteered for the GRAD-MAP Winter Workshop in both 2021 and 2022 as a project mentor and panelist.
Role: PhD Physics ‘24 (University of Maryland), moving to Harvard University
Matthew is a summer research mentor during the 2024 Summer Scholars program with Prof. Upadhyaya.
Role: PhD Student, Department of Physics
Serena is a summer research mentor during the 2024 Summer Scholars program with Prof. Bolatto.
Role: PhD Candidate, Department of Astronomy
Role: PhD Student, Department of Astronomy
Joe participated with the GRAD-MAP 2018 Open House event and the 2019 Winter Workshop as a mentor.
Role: PhD Candidate, Department of Astronomy
Alex assisted with the Python bootcamp during the Winter Workshops from 2020-2023.
Role: PhD Astronomy ‘24 (University of Maryland), moving to IAS Princeton University
Jordan is a summer research mentor during the 2024 Summer Scholars program with Prof. Komacek.
Role: PhD Candidate, Department of Astronomy
Matthew is a summer research mentor during the 2024 Summer Scholars program with Prof. Upadhyaya.
Role: PhD Student, Department of Physics
Role: PhD Student, Department of Physics
Role: PhD Candidate, Department of Astronomy
Role: PhD Student, Department of Astronomy
Katie founded GRAD-MAP in 2013 with a group of astronomy and physics grad students.
Role: Postdoctoral Researcher, Australian National University
Ashlee was part of the founding team of GRAD-MAP and defended her PhD thesis in 2017.
Role: House Science Committee
Robyn became team lead in 2016 during her second year at UMD. She was responsible for building ties to the TREND physics REU program.
Role: now in private sector
John Collini started working with GRAD-MAP in 2016 by mentoring students and assisting with the python boot-camp of the Winter Workshop.
Role: PhD Candidate, Department of Physics
Milena joined GRAD-MAP in her first year of graduate school in 2017 and was an Astronomy Team co-lead from 2019. She was also involved in a number of other diversity initiatives at UMD.
Role: Postdoctoral Fellow, Oskar Klein Centre
Andrew taught Python for GRAD-MAP from 2017-2022.
Role: Postdoctoral Fellow, Sandia National Laboratory, Co-Lead (2020-2022)
In 2018 and 2019, Charlotte mentored Winter Workshop students on AGN research projects and gave various presentations.
Role: Posdoctoral Researcher, Princeton University, Co-Lead (2020-2022)
Amitava helped with the application review gave presentations and feedback to scholars while they were preparing their talks.
Role: PhD Candidate, Department of Physics, Co-Lead (2022)
Tomas mentored students for the Winter Workshop (2021) and has developed and given Python lectures during the 2019-2021 Winter Workshops.
Role: GRAD-MAP Volunteer (2019-2021)
Robert was the Physics GRAD-MAP co-lead from 2022 to 2024 before he moved to University of Detroit as an assistant professor.
Role: Assistant Professor, University of Detroit
Stuart provided general-purpose mentoring for the Summer Scholars, and he was the primary faculty support to the GRAD-MAP Team Leads.
Role: Faculty Advisor (2013-2021), Professor Emeritus, Department of Astronomy
Peter Megson (now in private sector)
Dr Lora Price (now at Gallatin College)
Dr Jegug Ih
Dr Ramsey Karim
Dr Gareth Roberg-Clark (now at MPI Germany)
Corbin Taylor (now in private sector)
Prof Mike Boylan-Colchin (now at UT Austin)
Dr Suvi Gezari (now at STScI)
Prof Doug Hamilton
Prof Eliza Kempton
Prof Cole Miller
Prof Jimmy Williams
Dr Igor Andreoni
Dr Lenny Campanello (now in private sector)
Dr Lori Feaga
Dr Sara Frederick (now at Vanderbilt)
Dr Pradip Gatkine (now at UCLA)
Donna Hammer
Prof Erin Kara (now at MIT)
Dr Matthew Knight (now at US Naval Academy)
Dr Rebecca Levy (now at University of Arizona)
Dr Dana Louie (now at NASA Goddard)
Dr Matthew Nixon
Dr Matej Malik
Dr Alex McCormick (now at USF)
Dr Kate O’Neill
Dr Zeeve Rogoszinski (now in private sector)
Dr Nathan Roth (now at American University)
Dr Geoffrey Ryan (now at Perimeter)
Dr Kyle Sheppard (now in private sector)
Dr Sonali Shukla
Dr Paul Syers (now at US DoE)
Dr Peter Teuben
Elizabeth Warner
Dr Sylvia Zhu (now at DESY Germany)