Name: Skyler Keyek
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Institution: The College of New Jersey
Department: Physics
Biography:
I’m a sophomore physics major specializing in astrophysics at The College of New Jersey. I’m interested in and have started working on research projects related to astrophysics and geophysics. Particularly, I’m interested in exoplanets and planetary science. After undergrad I hope to pursue a PhD in astrophysics.
Academic Status: Undergraduate Student
Year in program: 2nd
Research Area/Department: Astronomy/Astrophysics; Physics; other
Other, specify: Geology/Geophysics
Major/Specialty: Physics/Astrophysics
Degrees Earned or in Progress: Bachelor of Science/Physics/2026
What courses or academic preparation have you completed to prepare for a summer internship experience?
Physics 1, Physics 2, Calculus A, Calculus B, Astronomy: Planets, Advanced Geology
Have you published any research or worked on research/technical projects? Yes
Where has your research been published or where have you conducted research/technical projects? Conducted research at The College of New Jersey
Please describe your research/academic interests:
I’m interested in astrophysics research related to exoplanets and geophysics research related to planetary science.
Computational and Data Science Areas:
Computational Science Applications, i.e., Bioscience, Cosmology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Nanotechnology, Climate, etc.; Data Analytics and Visualization; High-Performance Computing
Research Synergy:
I’ve really enjoyed working on a computational astrophysics project. I’m also very interested in computer modeling in general, especially as it relates to geophysics. It’s fascinating to me how many different problems can be solved/questions can be answered using computation that can’t be solved any other way. The DOE labs specifically do computational research in so many different fields and they have some of the best supercomputers and computing resources in the world.
Motivation:
By participating in the SHI Intro to HPC Bootcamp I learned what it’s like to learn and do research at a DOE lab. I’d love the opportunity to contribute to a long-term research project with a larger impact compared to research you’d expect from an industry lab.
Lightning Talk Title: Astrophysics and Geophysics Research with Applications to Habitability