Curriculum Vitae
Curriculum Vitae
contact information: cmoats20 at my.fisk.edu
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Print CV
Here is a downloadable copy of my CV, followed by a full readable version below. Current as of June 2025.
2025CV.pdfEducation
Education
Fisk University, Nashville, TN
Master's of Science in Physics on Astrophysics Track, July 2023 - August 2026
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The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
Bachelor of Science, with research distinction in Astronomy and Astrophysics, May 2023
Majors: Physics, Astronomy and Astrophysics
Research Experience
Research Experience
July 2023 - August 2026: Fisk-Vanderbilt Bridge Research Associate
Current Research: Mapping the Gravitational Wave Sky from Primordial Black Holes
Advisor: Dr. Kelly Holley-Bockelmann
Developed background on primordial black holes and gravitational waves. Determine distribution to assign binary separations of PBHs. Use N-body simulation, Romulus25, to simulate universe at z = 0 for primordial black hole seeding. Calculate LISA band detectability of gravitational waves produced by primordial black holes. Use LISAcode to determine sky localization errors. Use healpy & HEALPix to create a sky map of PBHs. Use Corrfunc on PBH sky map to determine PBHs’ ability to trace large scale structure.
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May 2022 - July 2022: Ohio State Summer Undergradute Research Program (SURP) Researcher
August 2022 – May 2023: Undergraduate Thesis Researcher
Undergraduate Thesis: Exploring the Origins of Unusual Binary Mergers
Publication: The Ohio State University Knowledge Bank
Advisors: Dr. Marc Pinsoneault & Dr. Rachel Patton
Wrote, presented, and defended thesis. Developed a background on stellar evolution by reading academic papers. Ran models to evolve single and binary stars in MESA. Developed proficiency with remote virtual Linux desktop. Programmed to read data and perform data visualization. Wrote scripts in Python. Presented at SURP Program Symposium.
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January 2020 - May 2020: Ohio State Polaris Program Mentee
Asteroseismic Scaling Relations and APOGEE DR16
Worked with and learned to manipulate large survey data. Explored the topics of stellar evolution, HR diagrams, asteroseismology. Calculated APOGEE DR14 data asteroseismic mass and surface gravity and recalculated values with APOGEE DR16 data. Presented for Polaris (virtual due to COVID-19 pandemic) poster presentation.
Fellowships/Grants
Fellowships/Grants
Fisk/Vanderbilt Bridge Fellowship (2023-2026)
Publications
Publications
Moats et al. In Prep
Mapping the Gravitational Wave Sky from Primordial Black Holes
Related Experience
Related Experience
Fall 2024 - Present
Establishing Multimessenger astronomy Interdisciplinary Training (EMIT) Program Student
Attend monthly interdisciplinary all-hands program research meetings. Participate in events focused on inclusion and mental health. Attended various Blast Modules (listed under EMIT section on this website.) Results in a certification in Multi-messenger astronomy.
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July 2024 - Present
Fisk-Vanderbilt Master's-to-Ph.D. Bridge Program Mentor
Mentor to first-year students in the program. Provide support in transition to graduate school.
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August 2022 - May 2023
Mentor for the Polaris Program, The Ohio State University
Mentored undergraduate student. Included weekly class with mentee. Had additional regular mentoring meetings at least monthly. Developed an individual semester-long research project for the student. Provided support through the project.
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August 2020 - May 2021
An Exploration of Student Experiences in Physics and Astronomy
Ohio State STEM Exploration and Engagement Scholar Capstone
Capstone Project: An Exploration of Student Experiences in Physics and Astronomy
Completed independent research project. Gathered relevant data on current presence in the field. Explored the history and policies impacting student experience in physics and astronomy department at Ohio State. Attended multiple virtual conferences to further identify timely recommendations. Conducted survey of peers to obtain current demographics and experiences in the department. Concluded by writing a paper and presented findings in a capstone presentation.
Honors/Awards
Honors/Awards
Spring 2019
Western & Central Pennsylvania Affiliate Winner, National Center for Women and Information Technology Aspirations in Computing (NICWIT)
Selected based on interested achievement in computing and technology, leadership in computing, academic performance, and future plans in STEM.
Presentations
Presentations
July 2025
Invited Speaker at Dark Side of the Universe 2025
Title: Mapping the Gravitational Wave Sky from Primordial Black Holes
April 2025
Presenter at Astronomy Research Journal Club
Title: Mapping the Gravitational Wave Sky from Primordial Black Holes
August 2024
Invited Speaker at Fisk-Vanderbilt 12th Annual Bridge Research Celebration Day
Title: Mapping the Gravitational Wave Sky from Primordial Black Holes
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May 2025
Poster Presenter at Fisk Research Day
Title: Mapping the Gravitational Wave Sky from Primordial Black Holes
May 2024
Poster Presenter at Fisk Research Day
Title: Mapping the Gravitational Wave Sky from Primordial Black Holes
August 2025
Poster Presenter at Fisk-Vanderbilt 13th Annual Bridge Research Celebration Day
Title: Mapping the Gravitational Wave Sky from Primordial Black Holes
Training
Training
September 23-26, 2025
POSYDON Summer School
POSYDON is a state-of-the-art binary population synthesis code. POSYDON School topics include: understand the machine learning basics of POSYDON, binary stellar evolution basics, generate and analyze binary populations, & use pre-generated POSYDON grids. Learn to effectively incorporate POSYDON into research through hands-on labs exploring astrophysical scenarios like mass-transfer stability, supernovae, and binary black-hole populations. For more information about POSYDON go to www.posydon.org.
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July 2025
EMIT Summer School in Multimessenger Astronomy
This summer school not only covers the fundamentals of electromagnetic, gravitational wave, and particle astrophysics, practical skills such as astrostatistics and data analysis, and professional skills such as building a CV and networking as a nerd, but we are deeply committed to building a healthy new field that is vibrant and welcoming for everyone, so we'll discuss and practice ways to do that throughout the workshop. We culminate with a fun role-playing exercise to find the host galaxy of the first binary black hole merger in LISA, complete with a celebration and press conference! [directly from the listing]
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Fall 2023
Responsible Conduct of Research Certificate
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Additional Training: EMIT Program
Other Experience
Other Experience
Summer 2024
12th Annual Bridge Research Celebration Day Planning Committee
Helped select keynote speaker. Reviewed (blind) abstract submissions to select speakers for the event. Handled email reminders and answered questions.
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January 2023 – May 2023 at The Ohio State University Department of Astronomy
Instructional Assistant, Astronomy 1100
Proctored exams. Managed class Canvas page. Took attendance.
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2019-2023 at The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
STEM Exploration and Engagement Scholar
Leadership Council, January 2020 – December 2021
Planned and presented programming. Mentored new scholars.
Teaching Assistant, August 2020 – December 2020
Graded assignments. Attended each class and facilitated group discussion. Planned and presented lesson on time management and mental health for STEM majors.
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Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science
Advisor, December 2019 – Present
Aided students in devising science projects. Advised students on methodology, research, and presentation. Reviewed and listened to presentations prior to competition.
Judge, February 2020
Evaluated presentations on individual science projects by students from 7th to 12th grade. Judged the scientific methodology and outcomes. Provided feedback.
Professional Memberships/Affiliations
Professional Memberships/Affiliations
2021-2023
Sigma Pi Sigma
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2024-Present
American Astronomical Society
Skills
Skills
Advanced Python (including Juypter Notebooks)
LISAcode
Corrfunc
Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA)
Machine Learning Techniques
Java, Swift, HTML, C++
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