My name is Nicole Marcelina Gountanis (Γκουντάνης) and I am a PhD student at The Ohio State University. I am interested in Cosmology and galactic evolution. I want to understand how the Universe evolved from (mostly) uniform, hydrogen gas to the complex and diverse systems we observe today. 

Under the supervision of David Weinberg, I am using analytic models to investigate the star formation histories of quiescent, elliptical galaxies.  These galaxies are observed to be some of the oldest and most α-enhanced galaxies in the local universe, a marker of early and rapid star formation. My research aims to compare observational data of quiescent, ellipticals at z=0 and z=0.7 to our models to describe the star formation histories and conditions needed to produce the observed α-enhancement. For more details on my research, please visit the research tab.

I graduated from Princeton University cum laude with a Bachelor's in Astrophysics. I conducted several research projects during my time there, including projects on galaxy clusters with Neta Bahcall, quasar light curves with Jenny Greene, and circumbinary planets with Sarah Millholland. For my senior thesis, I worked under the supervision of Tea Temim and Anatoly Spitkovsky on investigating the Crab Nebula's infrared, synchrotron emission using new, JWST images. I created a high-resolution, synchrotron index map between 4.8 and 11.3 μm to probe the spectral and morphological distribution of ultra-relativistic particles in the Crab Nebula. 

I enjoy mentoring undergraduate students and helping first-generation, low-income students navigate the complex challenges we face. As a proud Greek-Polish-American, I also love sharing my unique culture with others. Outside of school, I am a competitive powerlifter in the women's 60 kg division!