CV

Cayenne Matt

1085 S. University

406 West Hall

Ann Arbor, MI 48109

cayenne@umich.edu

EDUCATION

Astronomy and Astrophysics                                                                                                   2026 (Expected)

PhD, University of Michigan

Astronomy and Astrophysics                                                                                                 June 2023

M.S., University of Michigan

Astronomy & Physics: Comprehensive                                                                                                   June 2021

B.S., University of Washington

SCHOLARSHIPS AND AWARDS

Rackham Merit Fellowship                                                                                                                     August 2021 - Present

Awarded by the University of Michigan graduate program to students from diverse backgrounds.

Baer Prize                                                                                                       May 2020

The highest honor from the University of Washington Astronomy department for excellence in academics, research, and outreach.

Endowed Scholarship (Awarded twice)                                                                                                                  2018- 2021

Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity, Educational Opportunities Program division

Quarterly Dean’s List (eleven out of twelve quarters)                                                                                          2017 - 2021

Awarded to students who received a quarterly GPA of 3.5/4.0 or higher

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

The Impact of Black Hole Scaling Relation Assumptions on Gravitational Wave Background Predictions                                   August 2021 - Present

Advisor: Kayhan Gültekin                                                                                                                   University of Michigan

Developing redshift dependent supermassive black hole mass functions inferred from two different supermassive black hole mass-host galaxy property scaling relations

Accretion Revelations from Changing-Look Quasars                                                                                              Winter 2020 - Spring 2021

Advisor: Scott Anderson                                                                                                                                        University of Washington

Used multi-epoch SDSS spectra of known quasars in a search for CLQs. Through visual examination of spectra, I was able to identify one new CLQ to be included in a future publication

Identifying and Classifying New Cataclysmic Variables (CVs)                                                                                           June 2019 - June 2020

Advisor: Scott Anderson                                                                                                                      University of Washington

Used visual examination of spectra to classify 70 CVs. The 32 new discoveries and/or first spectroscopic confirmations are presented in the last paper listed below

Probing Fundamental Physics with Gravitational Experiments                                                                                      May 2017 - August 2019

                                                                                                                                                                        University of Washington,

Advisor: John G. Lee                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Eöt-Wash Group

Principal Investigators: Eric Adelberger, Blayne Heckel, Jens Gundlach

Constructed circuitry and programmed a seismic damping system used to stabilize larger experiments. 

This project was awarded the 2021 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics

Short-timescale, High precision, Photometric search for Asteroseismic Signals in Wolf-Rayet Stars (SHPASWRS)                     Autumn 2017

Trevor Dorn-Wallenstein                                                                                                              University of Washington

Used photometry from a one-hour exposure of Wolf-Rayet star WR124 in an attempt to detect asteroseismic oscillations.

TALKS AND POSTER PRESENTATIONS

Short-timescale, High precision, Photometric search for Asteroseismic Signals in Wolf-Rayet Stars (SHPASWRS)                 March 2018

Cayenne Matt and Keyan Gootkin

Talk at Mary Gates Undergraduate Research Symposium

WorldWide Telescope Exhibition                                                             January 2019

Gave demonstrations of the technology and instructions for set up of the University of Washington Mobile Planetarium to members at the 234th American Astronomical Society conference in Seattle.

PUBLICATIONS AND RESEARCH PRODUCTS

Cayenne Matt, Kayhan Gültekin, and Joe Simon “The Impact of Black Hole Scaling Relation Assumptions on Gravitational Wave Background Predictions” (MNRAS, 2023)

Green, Paul J.; Pulgarin-Duque,  Lina; Anderson, Scott F.; MacLeod, Chelsea L.; Eracleous, Michael; Rua, John J.; Runnoe, Jessie; Graham, Matthew; Roulston, Benjamin R.; Schneider, Donald P.; Ahlf, Austin; Bizyae, Dmitry ; Brownstein, Joel R.; del Casal, Sonia Joesephine; Dodd, Sierra A. ; Hoover, Daniel ; Matt, Cayenne; Merloni, Andrea ; Pan, Kaike; Ramirez, Arnulfo; Ridder, Margaret; Moseley, Serena “The Time Domain Spectroscopic Survey: Changing-look Quasar Candidates from Multi-epoch Spectroscopy in SDSS-IV” (ApJ, 2022)

M. L. Graham, Rebecca A. Phillipson, Christopher A. Phillips, Thomas D. Kennedy, Cayenne E. Matt, B. Sipocz, E. C. Bellm, C. Fremling, A. Dahiwale, Y. Sharma, S. R. Kulkarni, R. Walters, N. Blagorodnova, J. D. Neill, A. A. Miller, K. Taggart, D. A. Perley, A. Goobar, J. Sollerman “Apache Point Observatory classifies six Type Ia supernovae” (AstroNote, 2020)

Scott F. Anderson, John J. Ruan, Paul J. Green, Eric Morganson, Benjamin Roulston, Michael Eracleous, Sebastian Demasi, Elizabeth Farrel, Chelsea L. MacLeod, Cayenne Matt, Jessie C. Runnoe, et.al “The Time-domain Spectroscopic Survey Characterization Of Stellar And Quasi-stellar Variables, Through SDSS-IV Data Release 14” (Initial draft in distribution among lead collaborators)

OUTREACH AND SERVICE

Officer for League of Astronomer                                                                                                  2019 - 2021

Member since 2017

Collaborated with a team of officers to organize social and academic events for undergraduates both interested and/or majoring in astronomy.

University of Washington Mobile Planetarium Committee                                                                                  2017 - 2021

Travel to elementary and high schools in the Greater Seattle area with an inflatable planetarium to give planetarium shows with the goal of increasing diversity in the field of astronomy.