Hi, I’m Alan. I recently graduated the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor with a Masters degree in Embedded Systems. I previously received my bachelors in Computer Engineering. I was a participant in the SSP Biochem program in 2018 and I was a TA for the online Astro program in 2021. At the end of this summer I will be joining Qualcomm as a Software Engineer.
I have many years of teaching experience, from K-12 to college students. My teaching philosophy is rooted in guiding students along. This means no giving out answers, rather Socratic questioning, hints, reviewing fundamentals, and building bridges and connections.
Some of my hobbies include hiking, camping, designing and building, reading, playing video games, and more. I enjoy trying out and learning new things. I like meeting new people and having thoughtful discussions.
I am looking forwards to SSP ’24 at CUB and making sure that it truly becomes the experience of a lifetime for everyone.
hello everyone, my name is emily (she/her), i’ll one of your tas @ cub this summer! i’m from irvine, ca and am a rising senior @ mit studying computer science, minoring in design! i’m currently really interested in the product design space, but have full stack web dev experience and done ml research related to climate change. i attended ssp astrophysics back in 2020 “at nmt” during the virtual year :’) but virtual ssp was definitely one of my most memorable and favorite summers yet prior to college, i studied earth and planetary sciences, ran a successful slime business side hustle, and perfected my chocolate chip cookie recipe. nowadays, i still collect rocks, own a 200k following instagram account that never posts, and cook monthly fine dining meals for 40 other students at mit. i love coffee, matcha + food, and spend my free time doodling, cooking, walking my dog, or chasing sunsets and stars! i’m super excited to be helping out as a ta, and we all help with making this summer @ ssp the experience of a lifetime! feel free to reach out with anything, i love learning new things and meeting new people : )
Hi, I’m Kevin! I’m a SSP alum (New Mexico Tech Astro 2019 woohoo!) and just graduated from the Harvey Mudd College with a degree in Computer Science and Physics; after this summer I’ll be heading to Harvard for a PhD in Electrical Engineering. I spent a lot of my undergrad doing research in VLSI (fancy name for chip design), and computer arithmetic (how computers do math). I have an obsession with canned foods (i LOVE chef boyardee) and TV dinners (kid cuisine is a MUST HAVE). I’m from San Jose, CA and in my free time I like to exercise, read, produce electronic dance music, and play pranks on friends.
Hi, I’m Kendra, or you can call me Kae! I am a proud first-gen, low-income, and queer student who just graduated from Pomona College with a degree in Physics (emphasis in Astrophysics) and a minor in Politics. When I was in high school, I was told by my engineer teacher that I’d only become a teacher if I pursued Physics. Contrary to his statement, I have conducted exoplanet (planets outside of our solar system) research at Caltech, the Carnegie Observatories, and the SETI Institute. I love doing research, and so I will be starting my PhD in Astronomy at Yale this Fall. For my work, I have been recognized by the American Astronomical Society as a recipient of the Chambliss Astronomy Student Achievement Award. You can read more about my research here!
From my experiences, I hope to be able to support other underrepresented students in STEM. Outside of research, I have conducted outreach to underserved schools through the Carnegie Observatories and served as the American Physical Society Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity Alliance Coordinator for Pomona’s Physics Department. I hope to contribute to building more welcoming and safe spaces in STEM where students from all backgrounds can thrive.
Beyond my astronomy life, I love exploring new places— especially seeing what squirrels (and other wildlife) in different spaces are up to. I also enjoy trying different foods and experimenting with cooking different dishes. When I am feeling creative, you can catch me working on a new photography piece, game, song, or really anything.
I am super excited to be one of your TAs and support you throughout the summer. Welcome to the program!
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SSP International is a nonprofit offering inspiring science immersion experiences. Founded in 1959, its mission is to provide opportunities to accelerate learning, doing and belonging in science. SSP International’s flagship program is Summer Science Program, a leading education experience for exceptional high school students in astrophysics, biochemistry, genomics and more.
