Astronomy · University of Florida
I am Postdoctoral Associate at the University of Florida. My research interests lie broadly in star formation on all scales. I utilize radio and infrared telescopes that excell in peering into the center of our Galaxy.
I currently work with Prof. Adam Ginsburg on star formation in Sagittarius B2, the most massive molecular cloud in our Galaxy.
Publications & Projects
Highlighted in reversed chronological order.
Despite the high extinction towards the center of the Galaxy, JWST can probe deep inside massive star-forming clouds. Our JWST program 5365 observed Sagittarius B2 with NIRCam and MIRI. The striking cloud morphology, absence of YSOs, and leaking radiation raised more questions than they answered.
Sagittarius B2 is the most massive molecular cloud with the highest star formation rate in the Galactic center. We found 500 water masers in the cloud and for the first time determined their nature based on high-resolution multiwavelength observations.
ACES is a large program mapping the inner 100 parsecs of the CMZ, designed to fill gaps in current maps of Galactic center star formation. I am part of the data reduction and fundamental measurements teams for the largest ALMA mosaic so far. In early 2026, the survey released its first series of five papers covering the survey overview, continuum images, and three sets of spectral line data products.
Using 500 AU resolution ALMA 1 mm and 3 mm continuum data, we surveyed protostellar cores in Sgr B2. We detected 410 individual sources, most consistent with Stage 0/I YSOs that are warmer, larger, and denser than in the rest of the Galaxy.
I spent a summer at the Green Bank Observatory working on a 4–8 GHz continuum map of the inner Galactic plane using data from the GBT Diffuse Ionized Gas Survey (GDIGS), studying the relationship between diffuse ionized gas and HII regions.
Using Radio Recombination Lines of four Galactic HII regions I estimated the intensity level at which RRL measurements become unreliable (~2 mK). Some code contributed to figures in observations of ³He⁺ in Planetary Nebulae (Bania & Balser, 2020).
Education & Outreach
In Spring 2021 I taught AST 1022L: Astronomy Laboratory, a one-credit undergraduate lab course.
I write and conduct webinars for AstroSandbox, an organization preparing Ukrainian students for astronomy olympiads. Check out our YouTube channel.
Beyond Research
I love any combination of bread and melted cheese.
Curriculum Vitae
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