Polaris Leadership is composed of dedicated graduate and undergraduate students in Physics and Astronomy who are involved in contributing to Polaris initiatives. Professor Chris Hammel of the Physics Department serves as the faculty advisor for Polaris. Get to know some of the current members of Polaris Leadership below!
Danielle Bingman (she/her)
Hi! I am a graduate student in the Physics Department. I became involved in Polaris in summer 2022 and have been involved with URSA as a General Facilitator and am involved as a mentor in the mentorship course. My work in leadership is focused on treasury functions and on qualitatively assessing the effectiveness of Polaris’ programs and activities. My research is in theoretical biophysics and focuses on computational studies in RNA Biology. Outside of physics, when I can, I enjoy spending my time exercising, biking, reading, gardening, exploring, and playing with my puppies!
Brickelle Rahmaan Bixler
Dennis Calderon (he/him)
Hello there! I am a physics graduate student in the Physics department and co-TA for the course. I became involved with Polaris as a mentor in Fall 2020 before joining Polaris Leadership later that year. I was also a facilitator for URSA 2021.
Liam Dubay (he/him)
I’m a 4th year astronomy PhD student. I study galactic archaeology and the chemical evolution of the Milky Way with my advisor, Professor Jennifer Johnson. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, rock climbing, playing the cello, and hanging out with my cat Phil. This is my third year as a Polaris mentor and my first as a rotating co-TA for the mentorship course.
Alison Duck (She/Her)
Hello! I am a graduate student in the Astronomy department studying planets around other stars or exoplanets. I joined the Polaris leadership team in spring of 2020. I was the co-Teaching Assistant for the Polaris mentorship course for 3 years! In the past, I have served as a mentor in the course and as an Academic Facilitator for the first URSA summer program in 2020. I really enjoy knitting, rock climbing, mosh pits, and roller skating!
Lolo Jones
Katherine Laliotis (she/her)
Hi! I’m Katherine, I’m a grad student in the physics department. I joined Polaris as a general facilitator for the URSA program during my first year, and I currently serve as parliamentarian on the leadership team. My research is in cosmology. I love to read, write, and play outside 😊
Sera Mathew
Hosea Merritt
Sophie Olsen
Harish Moni Prakash
Alex Schimmoller
Cris Thompson
Melanie Zaidel (she/her)
Hi! I’m a 3rd year Physics Ph.D. candidate. I work with Professor John Beacom on topics in theoretical astroparticle physics and am interested in theoretical physics, especially in the context of multi-messenger astronomy. I like to listen to pop music, play video games, explore the arts and activities in and around Columbus, and take care of my two cats Kitty Rae Jepsen and Loki. I joined Polaris Leadership in January 2024 and have been involved with URSA as an Academic Facilitator and as a Liaison between URSA and Polaris, the Mentorship Course as a mentor and member on the Course committee, recruitment for Polaris initiatives, and I manage this website!
The Polaris leadership team meets weekly to discuss and share progress on our initiatives. If you are interested in getting involved with Polaris, please reach out to OSUPolaris@osu.edu.