Kristen Schumacher Aloh Gravitational Physicist

Resume

Resume

Please see PDF for the complete record.

PDF last updated 3 August 2026.

Position and Education

2025 – Present

NSF MPS ASCEND Postdoctoral Fellow and Weinberg Institute Postdoctoral Fellow

Joint appointment between California Institute of Technology and the University of Texas at Austin  ·  Supervisors: Katerina Chatziioannou and Hsin-yu Chen

2019 – 2025

Ph.D., Physics

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign  ·  Advisor: Nicolás Yunes

2015 – 2019

B.Sc., Physics  &  B.A., Mathematics

University of Virginia  ·  Minor in Astronomy

Fellowships

  • 2025–27 NSF MPS ASCEND Postdoctoral Fellowship
  • 2025–27 Weinberg Institute Postdoctoral Fellow UT Austin
  • 2021–24 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship

Selected Honors

  • 2024 People’s Choice Award UIUC Physics Research Highlight Science Writing Contest
  • 2024 Scott Anderson Outstanding Graduate Assistant Award UIUC Physics Department
  • 2022 Excellence in Outreach, Service, and Diversity Award UIUC Physics Department

Mentoring

I have mentored the following students through research projects, and many others in physics communication through the POINT project.

  • 2024– Kaitlyn Prokup Graduate student
  • 2023–25 Dhruv Srivastava Co-author Undergraduate student  ·  ISVC 2024
  • 2021–23 Rajan Patkar Co-author Undergraduate student  ·  ASEE 2023
  • 2020–21 Ashley Shaw Co-author Undergraduate student  ·  Phys. Rev. D 108, 104053

Teaching

2019–2023

Teaching Assistant

Physics Department, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Ranked excellent by students in all four semesters taught. Led discussion sections in introductory mechanics, electromagnetism, thermal physics and quantum physics, and taught the cross-listed course The Art of Physics and the Physics of Art (PHYS 495 / ARTS 499).