Kate Grier

University of Illinois
cgrier@uiuc.edu;

I went to Naperville Central High school in Naperville, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago).
I am currently a junior at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana, and I plan to continue on to graduate study in astronomy.
I was a competitive swimmer from age 5 to age 18, and was eventually the captain of both the swimming and water polo teams at my high school.
I also coached a summer club swim team for three years as a junior and assistant coach.
I played the cello for 7 years, both in school orchestras and out-of-school programs. .

I have an affinity for Starbucks coffee, as I worked there as a barista for a year or two.
I am currently the vice president of the astronomical society at school, and I am also involved in the Swing Dance Society here.
I love to go dancing on the weekends, both swing dancing and other dancing at clubs/bars.
I also love to hike, a hobby that I cannot pursue in Illinois (there is nowhere to hike here-- it's all flat!)
but I am looking forward to checking out the hiking scene in Wyoming.
My current research interests are focused mainly on active galaxies/quasars,
but I also have a rather strong interest in black holes as well as other compact objects like neutron stars and white dwarfs.
 

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