The Physics and Astronomy Graduate Mentors (GradMAP) group
GradMAP Logo

Our peer mentoring program exists to help early graduate students succeed in their transition to graduate school, navigate department resources, and provide a network of mentorship which will grow and flourish throughout the student’s career. Providing a systematic support network of peers reduces the challenge of adjusting to a difficult program in a new location. This built-in community provides an additional space to build the personal and professional relationships which make our department a collaborative, welcoming, and inclusive space.  

This initiative gives our graduate students an opportunity to learn many of the non-academic skills associated with being a successful physicist. Mentorship experience prepares students to be both competent and compassionate leaders as they enter academia or the work force. 

Objectives of the program: 

  • Place students into a mentoring cohort, consisting of two 1st year and two 2nd year graduate students, led by upper-level graduate students, which will provide guidance and introduce them to resources within the department. 
  • Make the adjustment to graduate school easier and less isolating by integrating 1st year graduate students into the department community and providing a support network of other graduate students. 
  • Facilitate personal and professional development. 

Graduate Mentors (GradMAP) Coordinator

Caroline Roberts

Caroline Anna Roberts, Ph.D.

Title/Position
Graduate Mentor Program (GradMAP) Coordinator
Instructional Services Specialist
Caroline received her BS in Physics from Sewanee: The University of the South and her MS in Physics and PhD in Astronomy from Georgia State University. In the University of Iowa Department of Physics and Astronomy she is the Astronomy Laboratory Coordinator and Van Allen Observatories Manager, supervising the experience of undergraduate students taking Astronomy lab classes in the department and overseeing the operation of the department’s 17- and 20-inch telescopes used for labs, research, and outreach. She is also a co-coordinator of the department’s “Hawkeyes in Space” outreach program and the program advisor for GradMAP, the department graduate student peer-mentoring group.

Meet your Graduate Mentors

Brown

Collin Brown

Title/Position
Graduate Research Assistant
Graduate Student Mentor
Collin Brown’s research interests involve using high-performance computation and kinetic plasma theory to study the solar wind. He is working with Dr. Greg Howes, Dr. Jimmy Juno, and Dr. Steve Baek to develop a machine learning algorithm that detects key properties of shocks in simulated astrophysical plasmas.
Sanjay Chepuri

Sanjay Chepuri

Title/Position
Graduate Research Assistant
Graduate Student Mentor
Sanjay Chepuri is interested in studying space physics. He is currently working with Dr. Allison Jaynes examining the Earth's magnetosphere using data from MMS and other spacecraft.
Gunderson

Sean Gunderson

Title/Position
Graduate Teaching Assistant
Graduate Student Mentor
Sean Gunderson’s interest is in the properties and evolution of hot stars. His research is primarily focused on the hypersonic stellar winds of these stars using theoretical models and high energy light spectra. The research is an intersection between high energy astrophysics and plasma physics; particularly the physics of plasma shocks that generate X-rays within the stellar winds.
McLaughlin

Jacob McLaughlin

Title/Position
Graduate Research Assistant
Graduate Student Mentor
Jacob McLaughlin performs research in experimental plasma sciences, specializing in nonperturbative, laser-based diagnostic techniques.  Working with Dr. Skiff, his current focus is wave-particle interactions and kinetic instabilities.
swarm

Dustin Swarm

Title/Position
Graduate Research Assistant
Graduate Student Mentor
Dustin Swarm is interested in high energy astrophysics and the application of machine learning in astronomy. He is currently working with Prof. Casey DeRoo studying X-ray sources in the Galactic center found using an outlier detection algorithm.
Vidal

Keith Vidal

Title/Position
Graduate Teaching Assistant
Graduate Student Mentor
Keith Vidal is interested in space and plasma physics.  He has studied strongly coupled and magnetized plasmas and is currently studying wave-particle interactions in the Earth's magnetosphere with Prof. Jaynes.