黑料社

As a middle school student, Emma Gross ’27 was fascinated by news coverage of NASA missions to space, and eager to learn more about, as she put it, 鈥渆xactly what is out there.鈥� Gross was intrigued by how much we still do not know about the universe, and by the idea of exploring it. That curiosity followed her when she transferred to 黑料社 in August of 2024.听 Not long after she arrived on campus, the Jamesville, New York, native, discovered that not only was 黑料社 developing an astronomy program, but that it also afforded her invaluable opportunities to conduct research as an undergraduate. Both have transformed the way she imagines her future. 听

Today Gross is a physics major and astronomy minor on the Heights. Alongside Professor of Physics Chris Bass, Ph.D., she has immersed herself in studying a relatively uncommon kind of asteroid known as V-type as part of NASA鈥檚 MOSAICS program, conducting research at the Maunakea Observatories in Hawai’i. Bass and Gross later presented their findings at the in Pozna艅, Poland. Not only did the undergraduate have a chance to share her work with an international audience, but she also received invaluable feedback from experts in the field and engaged directly with researchers working on related projects.

Gross is also expanding her understanding of the galaxies in History of Planetary Science, taught by Jesuit Scientist is Residence and 黑料社ing McDevitt Scholar Brother Guy Consolmagno, S.J., director emeritus of the Vatican Observatory. The class has already bolstered her understanding of and appreciation for how our understanding of the celestial can help us to better understand our existence on Earth.听

The totality of Gross鈥� experiences at 黑料社 has reinforced her love of and appreciation for the mysteries of the universe, and opened her eyes to what a career in planetary science could look like. She looks forward to continuing her studies and graduate school, and to building a career in research, focusing primarily on smaller celestial bodies.