About Me

Education
I'm currently working on my Ph.D. in Physics at the University of Delaware! My M.S. in Physics was conferred in the Spring of 2025. I previously completed a B.A. in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and a B.S. in Physics at the University of Connecticut.

Research Interests
I'm currently undertaking a project to determine the blue edge of the helium atmosphere white dwarf instability strip using Hubble Space Telescope observations. I started my work at UD by continuing a 40+ year investigation into helium atmosphere pulsating white dwarfs. Current favorite: PG 0112+104.

Publications
Link to Google Scholar.

Research

Asteroseismology of Pulsating WDBs
For the first two years of my Ph.D., I have been studying pulsating helium atmosphere white dwarf GD 358. This WD has been studied for over 40 years, and for the past two years I have been combining ground-based observations with TESS data to create updated asteroseismic and spectroscopic models of GD 358. I have expanded my research to include other helium atmosphere pulsating WDs as part of my dissertation work. I have also been analyzing the spectra of seven helium atmopshere white dwarfs (DBs) to determine the location of the hot edge of the DB instability strip. I am now a Research Assistant at Mt. Cuba Astronomical Observatory, with plans to use their new 1.3-m telescope to continue my investigation into the origins and evolution of helium atmosphere white dwarfs.

EM Detectability of SMBHs
For my junior and senior years of undergrad, I worked with Dr. Megan Davis on a project concerning the electromagnetic detectability of binary supermassive black holes using the Vera Rubin Observatory. This work determined that the false positive detection rate is more than one in five, and this work culminated in my undergraduate thesis, several poster presentations, and a publication in the Astrophysical Journal.

IceCube REU
I worked for 10 weeks at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls on a project simulating air bubbles in the optical gel that surrounds the photomultiplier tubes of IceCube detectors. This work culminated in a talk at the Conference for Undergraduate Research and a poster presentation at the UWRF URSCA Fall Gala.

Community

Teaching
I have been the instructor of record for PHYS 221: Introductory Physics Laboratory I for five semesters and for PHYS 133: Introduction to Astronomy for two semesters.

Outreach
Starting in 2025, I am a Technical Associate at the Mt. Cuba Astronomical Observatory where I put on Public Nights and Children's Programs for audiences of 28 people. Here, I operate 4" refractor and 24" reflector telescopes, as well as a planetarium. I also participate in outreach through the Physics and Astronomy Graduate Student Society. From 2022 to 2025, I was an Educational Associate at Mt. Cuba.

Contact

Email: kgrace@udel.edu