Position: Physics PhD Candidate
Institution: Florida Atlantic University
Education: The Pennsylvania State University: University Park, BS in Astrophysics with a minor in Philosophy
Research Interests: Observational Astronomy, Computational Astrophysics, High Energy Astrophysics
Seeding Supermassive Blackholes: Supermassive black holes (SMBHs) are ubiquitous in the Universe, as they are in the cen- ters of nearly all massive galaxies. However, it is currently unknown how SMBHs become supermassive in the first place. In this vein, my research thesis focuses on understanding the seeding mechanism for supermassive black holes (SMBHs). Thus far, I have studied the ac- tive galactic nuclei (AGN) occupation fraction in galaxies as a function of galaxy mass using data from the Deep-Drilling Fields Extended Chandra Deep Field South (ECDFS) Survey, XMM-Newton Survey (XMM-LSS), and Elais-S1 (ES1) Survey. This work aims to distin- guish between different SMBH seeding mechanisms by quantifying their distribution in these extensive extragalactic surveys. More specifically, I am fitting the spectral energy distribution of different AGNs to quantify the biases in identifying AGNs and better interpret the occupation fraction as a function of galaxy mass. Future steps in my thesis will include estimating the black hole mass using spectroscopy and scaling relations between the SMBH and the host galaxy bulge mass. These quantities can then be used to further test models of SMBH seeding and determine the most likely formation scenario.
Photo Creds: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Jeremy Schnittman, 2020
Teaching: General Physics Lab 2048L, General Physics Lab 2049L, General Physics Lecture 2048
Outreach:Undergraduate Research Showcase Judge I assisted judging undergraduate students presenting their research during the Black in Astro Space Week
Equity & Inclusion: Onaketa Tutor I am currently a mid-level online math and physics tutor as well as a mentor to students of color.
Exhibitor: I represented the National Society of Black Physicists Organization at the STEMNoire Conference in June of 2025.
Email: gsims2021@fau.edu
Address: 777 Glades Road