Matthew M. Murphy

Follow this link to find a PDF of my latest CV: CV LINK

Last updated: 8/16/2022

IGNORE BELOW: IT IS A PLAINTEXT OF AN OLD VERSION OF MY CV

Graduate Student · Astronomy
University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721
mmmurphy@email.arizona.edu

Education

University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ

GRADUATE STUDIES IN ASTRONOMY 2020 - PRESENT

Advisors: Dr. Thomas Beatty and Dr. Daniel Apai

State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY

B.S. IN PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY/PLANETARY SCIENCES 2016 - 2020

Thesis: ”Weak Resonant Effects in Secular Massive Planet Systems”

• 3.91 out of 4.0 GPA
• Honors College member
• Summa Cum Laude
• Departmental honors in Physics and Astronomy/Planetary Sciences

Research Interests

• Exoplanet habitability
• Exoplanet atmospheres
• Photometry, spectroscopy, and instrumentation

Key Skills

• Reducing and fitting exoplanetary transit and eclipse observations
• Reducing and fitting exoplanetary phase curve observations
• Analyzing exoplanet transmission spectra

Experience

Undergraduate Research, Exoplanet Dynamics (Dr. Philip Armitage) SUNY Stony Brook

RESEARCHER Dec. 2018 - 2020

• Numerically investigating resonant and secular effects in secular planetary systems
• Utilizing computing time on the IACS Seawulf cluster.

Undergraduate Research, Physics Education (Dr. Surajit Sen) SUNY Buffalo

RESEARCHER May 2017 - 2020

• Developed a physics experiment for high school level students.
• Measuring mass flow rate of granular materials, and the physics of jamming.

Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities Program SUNY Stony Brook

SUMMER RESEARCH FELLOW May 2019 - Aug. 2019

• Funded 8-week program at Stony Brook University, advised by Dr. Philip Armitage
• Researched the instability timescales for 3-body planetary systems and dependencies in parameter space

Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, SUNY Stony Brook SUNY Stony Brook

TEACHING ASSISTANT Jan. 2018 - May 2018

• Worked as a TA for Applied Calculus IV: Differential Equations
• Held weekly office hours, graded homeworks and exams, proctored exams.

Outreach

Sprouting in STEM (Podcast) Stony Brook, NY

CO-HOST Aug. 2019 - Present

• Co-Host of a weekly podcast that streams to major platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.
• Focused on empowering young students interested in science.
• Addressing and educating on obstacles that students face, such as imposter syndrome.

SUNY Buffalo State Planetarium Buffalo, NY

ASSISTANT Jan. 2016 - Mar. 2016

• Created activity packets and newsletters for elementary students
• Helped with register and admin duties at planetarium shows

Extracurricular Activity

Stony Brook Astronomy Club SUNY Stony Brook

MEMBER Feb. 2017 - 2020

• Host a campus event called ’AstroFest’ which teaches astronomy topics and news with fun activities.
• Annual trips to the Northeast Astronomy Forum.
• Teaching other students how to operate the university’s 14-inch telescope.

Welcome Wagon SUNY Stony Brook

ASSISTANT Aug. 2017 - Aug. 2018

• Assisted incoming freshmen and parents with the initial move-in process.
• Gave tours of residential quads to the new students.

Honors & Awards

May 2020 Summa Cum Laude, Stony Brook University

Aug. 2019 Researcher of the Month ,Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities Summer Research Program SUNY Stony Brook

2016-2019 Presidential Scholarship ,Awarded by Stony Brook University SUNY Stony Brook

2016-2019 UFCW Local 1 Scholarship ,Awarded as the child of a United Food & Commercial Workers Union member Buffalo, NY

2019 Finish in Four Scholarship ,Awarded by Stony Brook University SUNY Stony Brook

Presentation

Stony Brook Physics Graduate Lab Poster Session Stony Brook, NY

PRESENTER FOR , POSTER Dec. 12, 2019

• Presenting photometric observations of the RR Lyrae star SS Piscium
• Calculated the iron abundance of the star and its distance from earth
• Undergraduate lab work

Stony Brook Honors College Virtual Symposium Stony Brook, NY

PRESENTER FOR , POSTER AND VOICETHREAD May 2020

• Presenting N-body simulations of chaotic 3-body planetary systems
• Examined interplay between secular and resonant effects
• Undergraduate senior thesis work

Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities Poster Event Stony Brook, NY

PRESENTER FOR , POSTER May 2020

• Presenting N-body simulations of chaotic 3-body planetary systems
• Examined interplay between secular and resonant effects
• Undergraduate senior thesis work