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Diplomas/Degrees

Diplomas/Degrees

PhD in Astronomy, Boston University (2025)

MA in Astronomy, Boston University (2020)

BS in Physics, Rochester Institute of Technology (2018)

Recent Courses

Recent Courses

College Physics I (lab)

Physics For Science Majors I

Teaching Philosophy

Teaching Philosophy

I believe that every student is capable of learning new skills and knowledge. My role as an educator is to craft situations in which students who participate will acquire knowledge and skills. Because physics has a reputation of being hard, part of my role is to help students build confidence in their ability to learn this topic.

Research Interests

Research Interests

My research focuses on the evolution of galaxies, especially in regards to the question of nature versus nurture. Like humans, how galaxies grow and change is influenced both by their internal nature and by their external environment. I use the results of large simulations of mini-universes (e.g., ) to answer questions about galaxies and their environments that are challenging to answer using simulations alone. These datasets can be extremely large, so my research involves a lot of data science and high-performance computing. 

I am currently focused on three main areas of inquiry:

- How can we use data from spatially resolved galaxies to understand where and how star formation (and the ultimate quenching of star formation) proceeds? What properties ultimately drive star formation and quenching?

- What role do magnetic fields play in environmental processes that affect satellite galaxies (smaller galaxies that orbit larger 'centrals')? Why do satellite galaxies seem to have stronger magnetic fields than centrals?

- How much dust is in the Universe and where is it? Astronomical dust (small bits of solids embedded in gas) is hard to measure from a distance, but affects the light, and thus the information, we receive from distant galaxies. So how can we use simulations to understand and constrain properties of dust in order to better account for its affect on observed galaxies?

Articles

Articles

Measuring Scaling Relations: Fitting Technique Matters. McDonough, B., Curtis, O., Brainerd, T. The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 986(2), L32. doi:

Effects of intrinsic and environmental factors on the distribution of star formation in TNG100 galaxies. McDonough, B., Curtis, O., Brainerd, T. The Astrophysical Journal, 978(1), 67. doi:

The discovery of a supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy. McDonough, B., & Withers, P. American Journal of Physics, 91(5), 386–386.  doi:

Resolved star formation in TNG100 central and satellite galaxies. McDonough, B., Curtis, O., Brainerd, T. The Astrophysical Journal, 958(1), 19. doi:

The Distribution of Satellite Galaxies in the IllustrisTNG100 Simulation. McDonough, B., & Brainerd, T. G. The Astrophysical Journal, 933(2), 161.  doi: