Stephanie A. Podjed
~ the skies proclaim the work of His hands ~
About Me
Physics & Astronomy PhD. Candidate at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH
Hi! I'm Steph (she/her), a current graduate student in the Physics and Astronomy Department at Dartmouth College. I grew up in the Panhandle of Florida and completed my BSc. degrees at the University of Florida (go Gators!). I have varied interests when it comes to research, most especially for extragalactic astronomy. Right now, I am studying spectropolarimetry of blazars with Prof. Ryan Hickox.
While I am a complete extorverted introvert, I enjoy meeting new people and discussing all things science, STEM outreach, and what makes you uniquely you. Feel free to reach out about anything and everything, even if it's just to have someone to chat with.
Away from Wilder Hall, I also have varied interests- from walking new paths in nature, occasionally doing some hiking and swimming, to creating studio art and culinary art, to reading, learning new languages, and playing with my two cats -- more below.
Margot (black & white) and Jacques (orange) are my fur children. They have been with me since 2015 and 2017 respectively- I don't know what I would do without them. They make the hard days a little better and life is definitely more fun, interesting, and chaotic with them.
Edinburgh, Scotland
Reykjavík, Iceland
Just some of the things I enjoy doing, including learning languages, art, volunteering and travel!
V&A Waterfront, Cape Town, South Africa
Blarney Castle, Ireland
Kruger National Park, South Africa
Paris, France
Research
AGNs
Radio Loud
Broad Interests Include
Multiwavelength
BH-Galaxy Evolution
Blazars
Observational
Jetted
Optical Spectropolarimetry of Blazars. Accepted Apr. 18, 2024 - Corresponding to an optical flare event around MJD 59409, the continuum polarization percentage reaches a maximum value and displays long- and short-tern variability. No emission line (Hγ, Hβ) polarization is detected at all during the study, indicating there probably is not a region of scattering near the BLR. The polarization angle variability likely indicates a change in the orientation of the magnetic fields of the jet with respect to our line of sight.
Multi-band Optical Photometric Variability of Quiescent and Flaring Blazars. MDM OIR color variability diagrams for [HB89] 1420+326; larger B-I value corresponds to redder color. Overall, this FSRQ displays a redder-when-brighter (RWB) trend fitting into the standard model such that the behavior is indicative of either an increase in synchrotron flux from the redder jet or, if the jet is dominating, the γ-ray flare may not have reached a high enough energy to overcome the disk luminosity.
Properties of Low-Luminosity AGN: Variability Accretion Rate, Black Hole Mass and Color. In the majority of luminosity bins, more variable AGN appear to have broader Hβ emission lines. This can be interpreted as more variable AGN having
lower accretion rates than less variable AGN, which is is consistent with findings
for more luminous QSOs (Zuo et al. 2012) and may indicate that lower accretion rates are associated with less stable accretion disk.
Education
Ph.D in Physics and Astronomy
- Dartmouth College | Sept. 2018 - present
- Advisor: Ryan C. Hickox
Master of Science in Physics and Astronomy
- Dartmouth College | Sept. 2018 - Sept. 2021
- Advisor: Jedidah C. Isler
Bachelor of Science in Astronomy, Bachelor of Science in Physics
- University of Florida | Dec. 2016
- Summa Cum Laude (Astronomy)
- Magna Cum Laude (Physics)
- Minor: French and Franchophone Studies
- 3.82 overall GPA
- Elected to Phi Beta Kappa
Talks/Posters
FLAT @ Durham Uni., A Tale of Two Blazars (talk), Mar. 15, 2024
NERQUAM 31 @ URI, Optical Spectropolarimetry of Blazars (talk), May 25, 2023
What Drives the Growth of Black Holes?, Spectropolarimetry of Blazars with SALT (poster), Sept. 26/27, 2022
NERQUAM 30 @ UConn, Spectropolarimetry of Blazars with SALT (talk), May 26, 2022
HEAD 19, Spectropolarimetry of Blazars with SALT (poster), Mar. 13/14, 2022
AAS 237 (virtual), Spectropolarimetry of Gamma-Ray Active and Quiescent Blazars with SALT (poster),
Jan. 11, 2021
AAS 227, The Properties of Low-Luminosity AGN: Variability, Accretion Rate, Black Hole Mass and Color (poster). Jan. 6, 2016
17th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium @ UF, The Properties of Low-Luminosity AGN: Variability, Accretion Rate, Black Hole Mass and Color (poster), March 2016
Leadership
Dept. Admissions & Recruitment Committee Grad. Rep., Aug. 2023 - present
Dept. Thesis Party Planning Committee, Sept. 2019 - present
Local Organizing Committee, What Drives the Growth of Black Holes?, Sept. 2022
Graduate Christian Fellowship (GCF) Treasurer, May 2021 - Aug. 2023
Guarini Diversity Council - Student Recruitment & Retention Working Group, Sept. 2020 - Feb. 2021
Grad. Student Council Service Committee Chair, May 2021 - Apr. 2022
Grad. Student Council Social Committee C0-Chair, May 2020 - Apr. 2021
Grad Student Council Rep., Oct. 2019 - Sept. 2020
.... plus more
Outreach
Perseids Program, Moosilauke Ravine Lodge, Aug. 11, 2023
Science Day, Dartmouth, Apr. 8, 2023
AAS Congressional Visit Day participant, May 2-4, 2022
Guest Astronomer, the Montshire Museum of Science, 2019 - present
Dartmouth Public Observing Overseer, Jan. 2019 - present
... plus more
Research
Optical Spectropolarimetry of Blazars, 2020-present
Optical Variability of Quiescent and Flaring Blazars, 2018 - 2019
Properties of Low-Luminosity AGN: Variability Accretion Rate, Black Hole Mass and Color, 2015-2016
Engaging honors students in purposeful planning through a concept mapping assignment, 2013
Teaching & Trainings
Grad. Teaching Assistant, Dartmouth, Jan. 2019 - present
DCAL Future Faculty Training Series, Dartmouth, Spring 2023
Selamawit Tsehaye Teaching Award, Dartmouth, June 2023
The Chair’s Teaching Award, Dartmouth, June 2022
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Creating a Culture of Care, Dartmouth, July 19, 2023
Career myIDP workshop, Dartmouth, May 17, 2023
Emotional First Aid Training, Dartmouth, Dec. 8, 2022
CIMER Mentoring Series, Dartmouth, Spring 2022
Observing Experience
SAAO 1.0m + SHOC, 7 nights
SAAO 1.0m + Makoodi, 3 nights
SAAO 1.9m, 3 nights
AO/GBO Single Dish Summer School 12m, 2 nights
MDM 1.3m + Templeton, 4 nights + 18 nights (remote)
MDM 2.4m + OSMOS, 12 nights + queue scheduling
SALT 11m (queue scheduling)
Rosemary Hill Observatory
SAAO, Sutherland, South Africa
~ the skies proclaim the work of His hands ~
Contact Info.
Wilder Hall Rm 224
HB 6127, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755
stephanie.a.podjed.gr@dartmouth.edu