Skip to main content
← Center for Theoretical and Observational Cosmology

Center for Theoretical and Observational Cosmology

People

Name Role Affiliations Email Phone Office Centers Research topics
Abhay Ashtekar Abhay Ashtekar Faculty ava1@psu.edu +1 814 863 9601 316 Whitmore Laboratory CFT, CMA, CTOC Physical Mathematics
Joshua Black Joshua Black Graduate Student Physics jib38@psu.edu +1 814 865 7533 301D Whitmore Laboratory CTOC Black Holes, Dark Matter
John Blakely John Blakely Undergraduate Student Astronomy, Physics jpb6799@psu.edu +1 814 865 0410 Osmond Laboratory CTOC, IGC Black Holes, Dark Matter
Carlos Blanco Carlos Blanco Faculty ICDS, Physics carlosblanco@psu.edu +1 814 865 7533 303K Osmond Laboratory CFT, CMA, CTOC, IGC Cosmic Rays, Dark Matter, Multimessenger Astrophysics, Neutrinos
W. Niel Brandt W. Niel Brandt Faculty Astronomy, Physics wnbrandt@gmail.com +1 814 865 3509 514A Davey Laboratory CTOC Black Holes, Multimessenger Astrophysics, Quasars, Dynamic Universe
Tommy Chin Tommy Chin Graduate Student Physics wjc5509@psu.edu 6692331822 301D Whitmore Laboratory CFT, CTOC, IGC Quantum Universe, Dynamic Universe
Robin Ciardullo Robin Ciardullo Faculty Astronomy rbc3@psu.edu +1 814 865 6601 525 Davey Laboratory CMA, CTOC Cosmic Surveys
Laura Duffy Laura Duffy Graduate Student Astronomy lrd48@psu.edu +1 814 865 0419 537 Davey Laboratory CTOC Black Holes, Quasars
Michael Eracleous Michael Eracleous Faculty Astronomy mxe17@psu.edu +1 814 863 6041 414 Davey Laboratory CMA, CTOC Black Holes, Multimessenger Astrophysics, Quasars, Dynamic Universe
Derek Fox Derek Fox Faculty Astronomy dbf11@psu.edu +1 814 863 4989 425 Davey Laboratory CMA, CTOC Multimessenger Astrophysics, Neutrinos, Dynamic Universe
Caryl Gronwall Caryl Gronwall Faculty Astronomy cag18@psu.edu +1 814 865 2918 417B Davey Laboratory CMA, CTOC Astrostatistics, Cosmic Surveys
Donghui Jeong Donghui Jeong Faculty Astronomy djeong@psu.edu +1 814 865 1117 518 Davey Laboratory CTOC Gravitational Waves
Rodney Jones Rodney Jones Undergraduate Student Astronomy rjj5488@psu.edu 9412878113 N/A CTOC Dark Matter
Joel Leja Joel Leja Faculty Astronomy, ICDS jql6565@psu.edu +1 814 865 0418 515 Davey Laboratory CTOC Cosmic Surveys
Yuexing Li Yuexing Li Faculty Astronomy yul20@psu.edu +1 814 867 2291 417A Davey Laboratory CMA, CTOC Astroinformatics, Black Holes, Multimessenger Astrophysics
Greg Lukens Greg Lukens Graduate Student Astronomy gmlukens@psu.edu +1 814 865 0419 441 Davey Laboratory CTOC Cosmic Surveys
Niana Mohammed Niana Mohammed Graduate Student Astronomy nnm5189@psu.edu +1 814 865 0419 537 Davey Laboratory Davey Laboratory CMA, CTOC Black Holes, Multimessenger Astrophysics, Quasars
Ella Newhouse Ella Newhouse Undergraduate Student Astronomy ejn5324@psu.edu 412-699-6700 N/A CTOC Cosmic Surveys
Mary Ogborn Mary Ogborn Graduate Student Astronomy mko5309@psu.edu 8148637111 8148637111 Davey Laboratory CMA, CTOC Black Holes, Quasars
Monica Rincon Ramirez Monica Rincon Ramirez Staff Physics mxr463@psu.edu – 307 Whitmore Laboratory CFT, CTOC Black Holes, Loop Quantum Gravity, Physical Mathematics, Quantum Universe
B.S. Sathyaprakash B.S. Sathyaprakash Faculty Astronomy, Physics bss25@psu.edu – 312 Whitmore Laboratory CMA, CTOC Black Holes, Dark Matter, Gravitational Waves, Multimessenger Astrophysics
Donald Schneider Donald Schneider Faculty Astronomy dps7@psu.edu +1 814 863 9554 508 Davey Laboratory CTOC Black Holes, Cosmic Surveys
Hyungsuk Tak Hyungsuk Tak Faculty hvt5139@psu.edu +1 814 865 1348 326 Osmond Laboratory CTOC Astroinformatics, Astrostatistics
Zhenyuan Wang Zhenyuan Wang Graduate Student zzw173@psu.edu +1 814 865 0419 532 C Davey Laboratory CTOC Cosmic Surveys
Stephanie Wissel Stephanie Wissel Faculty Astronomy, Physics wissel@psu.edu +1 814 863 9598 303B Osmond Laboratory CFT, CMA, CTOC Cosmic Rays, Multimessenger Astrophysics, Neutrinos
About our wordmark
Monica Rincon Ramirez

The IGC wordmark was created by Monica Rincon Ramirez while she was a graduate student at the Institute. Monica enjoys drawing new connections between fundamental theory and observations. Her graduate work included general relativity, loop quantum gravity, and quantum fields in cosmological backgrounds; her thesis focused on effective quantum corrections to gravitational phenomena from spinfoams and applications to cosmology. She received her PhD in 2024.

The wordmark symbolizes the scope of research at the IGC. The base represents quantum gravity, evoking the quantum geometrical picture from spinfoams and loop quantum gravity — approaches studied at the Center for Fundamental Theory. The middle shows galaxies embedded in a smooth surface characteristic of spacetime in general relativity and the larger physical scales studied at the Center for Theoretical and Observational Cosmology. The top curves to an extreme representing a supermassive black hole accompanied by an energetic jet, with a binary black hole pair nearby — the high-energy phenomena studied at the Center for Multimessenger Astrophysics.