I am an Assistant Professor at Louisiana State University and an Adjunct at the University of Texas, San Antonio. I study elements in stars near to the Sun and the chemical interplay between stars and their planets -- or how the element compositions impact the interior structure and mineralogy of planets. I also look at general element abundance trends within the solar neighborhood with respect to physical stellar properties. I put together the largest database of stellar element abundances for stars near to the Sun: the Hypatia Catalog, to explore physical and chemical data for stars and their planets: hypatiacatalog.com.
Photo courtesy of Eddy Perez (2025).
Far back in the mists of ancient time, in the great and glorious days of the former Galactic Empire, life was wild, rich and largely tax free. Mighty starships plied their way between exotic suns, seeking adventure and reward among the furthest reaches of Galactic space. In those days spirits were brave, the stakes were high, men were real men, women were real women and small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri were real small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri. And all dared to brave unknown terrors, to do mighty deeds, to boldly split infinitives that no man had split before--and thus was the Empire forged.
...In these enlightened days, of course, no one believes a word of it. -- Douglas Adams
