I am a Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) at George Mason University.  I am currently pursuing my PhD in physics, with a concentration in astrophysics.  My research interests include active galactic nuclei (AGNs), black hole physics, and the formation of structure in the early universe. I completed my Bachelor of Science degree in astronomy at The University of Hawai'i at Hilo.  During my time in Hawai'i, I volunteered at the Onizuka Center for International Astronomy Visitor Information Station (VIS), where I later worked as an Interpretive Guide and astrophotographer.  I also worked at the NASA InfraRed Telescope Facility (IRTF) and I programmed and developed a new photometric camera for the University of Hawai'i 2.2-meter Telescope (UH88).  In my last two years in Hawai'i, I volunteered my time contributing heavily to the Variable Young Stellar Objects Survey (VYSOS).  Outside of academia, I enjoy photography and playing guitar, and I enjoy a wide range of fields, including evolutionary biology, futurology, ontology, and politics. 

Publications:

1. Secrest, N. J., et al. 2012. ApJ, (in review)
2. Elliot, J. L., et al. 2010. Nature, 465, 897

Press:

    "A KBO in the Crosshairs", Sky & Telesope

Photography:

    Astrophotography