Sparrow Roch is an undergraduate senior at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee double majoring in Computer Science and Physics with an Astronomy emphasis. They first became involved in undergraduate research in Fall 2018 with UWM’s Student Team of Astrophysics Researchers (STARS@UWM) and have been a student leader for the group since Fall 2019. Sparrow has participated and continues to participate in multiple astronomy-related projects at UWM and elsewhere. Sparrow is currently working under the guidance of Dr. Sarah Vigeland on a project that relates to pulsars: quickly rotating neutron stars that emit beams of radiation. Timing the unique signals from pulsars at different locations in the galaxy allows for novel ways to study the universe, including the potential to detect gravitational waves at much lower frequencies than those previously detected. This project aims to investigate how an inaccurate understanding of an observatory’s position might affect pulsar timing data and gravitational wave analyses. Sparrow is also interested in physics and astronomy curriculum development, updating and creating welcoming and accessible educational materials, and multimedia science communication and outreach. After graduating, Sparrow hopes both to further pursue astronomy in graduate school and to seek out more opportunities to enthuse about science. Please feel welcome to reach out! Email: mrroch@uwm.edu.

2022-2023 SERA Recipients