Nathan Secrest

• Clubs organizations while at UH Hilo: Astrophysics Club
• Where you are now and what you're doing: Now a postdoctoral fellow at the US Naval Observatory in Washington, DC Specializations: Supermassive black holes in bulgeless and dwarf galaxies, dual AGNs, X-ray astronomy
• Places you have worked, interned or traveled to for your career: I've worked at the US Naval Observatory, the Naval Research Laboratory, the UH 2.2-meter telescope, the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF), and the Onizuka Visitor Information Station. In my career I've traveled all of the US, and traveled to Ireland, China, and Crete.
• Bio: A native of Bethesda, MD, I majored in astronomy at UH Hilo from 2006-2009. I did my PhD in physics at George Mason University between 2011-2014, under Shobita Satyapal. Thesis title: "Supermassive Black Holes in Bulgeless and Dwarf Galaxies: A Multi-Wavelength Investigation" I am presently a postdoctoral fellow at the US Naval Observatory, where I have been developing an all-sky sample of quasars for astrometric purposes. I will be taking up a new postdoctoral position at the Naval Research Laboratory in October 2015, where I will be studying AGN obscuration.
• What attracted you to UH Hilo Physics & Astronomy? I was attracted to UH Hilo by the prospect of getting hands-on experience with some of the observatories and projects on Mauna Kea. UH Hilo was the only university I applied for when I decided to major in astronomy. Advice for prospective/current students of UH Hilo Physics & Astronomy: Take to your undergraduate coursework under the assumption that you will be applying to graduate school. If you are an astronomy major, take quantum mechanics, as you will need it for the physics GRE. Find a research project with one of the faculty or local astronomers, and get some solid research on your record while you are still an undergraduate. When you apply for graduate school, find a potential advisor and contact them: you're choosing grad school based on who you want to work with, not the name of the school. Find out what they do and whether they are interested in taking you on. Enjoy your studies! Astronomy is very challenging but it is also very rewarding.

(last edit 8/29/15)