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PEOPLE

Current Group Members:

ANISH ARADHEY

undergraduate student

Anish Aradhey is a sophomore pursuing a B.S. in Astrophysics and a B.A. in Biology. He will spend the Fall 2024 semester quantifying the mid-infrared variability of hot subluminous stars. Anish first gained research experience in astrophysics at James Madison University while still in high school. In his free time, he enjoys reading and training for his next half-marathon. Anish is a Robertson Scholar and is originally from Harrisonburg, VA.

BRAD BARLOW

associate professor

Brad is an associate professor of physics & astronomy who joined the UNC faculty in 2023. Before that, he spent 11 years teaching and doing research with undergraduate physics majors at High Point University, where he was Associate Professor of Astrophysics, Director of Culp Planetarium, and Co-Director of the Natural Sciences Fellows Program. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree in physics from Mississippi State University in 2006, his Master’s degree from UNC in 2008, and his Ph.D. from UNC in 2011. He spent two years working as a postdoctoral research scholar in the Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics at Penn State University. Outside of work, he enjoys hiking, playing the piano, bowling, and spending time with his wife Jenn and kids Josie (4) and Clare (6). Brad is originally from Biloxi, Mississippi.

BENNETT KIRBY

undergraduate student

Bennett is a junior undergraduate physics major from Champaign, Illinois. He has worked with Dr. Barlow on ellipsoidal and pulsating hot subdwarfs since his freshman year. He transferred from High Point University to the University of Chapel Hill alongside Dr. Barlow to continue his education and research, hoping to pursue a Ph.D. in astronomy. He is currently working with Leo Trbonja on a project funded by the NC Space Grant to search for new spider binaries using the optical signatures of their irradiated companions. In his spare time, Bennett enjoys playing golf and chess, cheering for his favorite Chicago sports teams, spending time with his family, and traveling. His favorite memory with Dr. Barlow so far was exploring the interesting area of downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico, during the 242nd AAS meeting.

REGAN PARKER

undergraduate student

Regan Parker is a Junior pursuing a B.S. in Physics with a minor in Statistics and Analytics. She is originally from Currituck, NC. Regan participated in ERIRA (Educational Research in Radio Astronomy) in the summer of 2023, when she first gained introductory research and field experience in astronomy. She is particularly interested in observational and experimental physics, and using data analysis to tackle complex challenges. Regan will spend the fall 2024 semester analyzing and classifying light curves of hot subluminous stars obtained by TESS during Cycles 6 & 7.

LEO TRBONJA

undergraduate student

Leo Trbonja is a senior undergraduate student at UNC Chapel Hill, where they are studying physics. Having lived internationally throughout childhood Leo has called North Carolina home since 2019. They are working with Bennett Kirby on a project funded by the NC Space Grant to search for new spider binaries using the optical signatures of their irradiated companions. In their free time, Leo enjoys reading, playing video games, and following professional tennis.

Frequent Collaborators:

Our research group works with astronomers across the globe on projects focused on hot subdwarfs, white dwarfs, and related objects. Some of our closest collaborators are listed below:

Former Group Members:

I have been lucky to work with more than two dozen students on a variety of projects so far in my career. Research topics have included everything from extreme binary systems to building simple instrumentation with Raspberry Pis to modeling pulsating stars. Working with students on research and watching them grow as scientists has been the most fulfilling part of my job. Below is a list of past students who have worked in my group, most of whom are undergraduate physics majors from High Point University.

My Mentors & Advisers:

Like all scientists, I’ve only gotten to where I am today thanks to the generous and unwavering support of several mentors who worked with me over the years. The most influential are listed below.

  • Briana Fiser – physics dept. chair @ High Point University
  • Aaron Titus – physics dept. chair @ High Point University
  • Richard Wade – Postdoc research adviser @ Penn State University
  • Chris Clemens – PhD/M.S. research adviser @ UNC-CH
  • John Patrick Lestrade – undergrad research adviser @ Mississippi State University
  • John Powell – high school science teacher @ St. Martin High School in Biloxi, MS; taught my first physics & astronomy courses
  • Helene Ederer – middle school science teacher @ St. Martin Middle School in Biloxi, MS; taught my first chemistry course; made our class memorize the periodic table