Major: Physics
Minors: Secondary Education and Astrophysics
Class Year: 2027
High School: Klein Collins High School
Advisors: Dr. Tatiana Erukhimova; Dr. Jonelle Walsh
Research Focus: Physics Education, Observational Astronomy
Other Projects and Publications: “Chicken and the Egg: Does Outreach Lead to a Growth Mindset or Vice Versa?” Poster Presentation by Isabella Oaks. 2025 AAPT Winter Meeting. St. Louis, MO. January 17-21, 2025.
Organizations and Programs: Undergraduate Research Ambassadors, Society of Physics Students, Ags REACH, Hullabaloo U Peer Mentor
Awards and Distinctions: Texas A&M Foundation Scholarship, Chesmar Foundation Scholarship, Dunham Undergraduate Research Fellowship, Dean's Honor Roll, Wright Fellowship for Undergraduate Research in Astronomy, Physics & Astronomy Departmental Honors
Experience: Internships, Summer Research, Poster Presentation, Oral Presentation, Research Conference
Years Experience: 1.5
Other Activities: Trying coffee shops, Physics Outreach, Discover, Explore, Enjoy Physics and Engineering (DEEP)
Bio: Howdy! My name is Izzi and I am currently a Physics major also minoring in Secondary Education and Astrophysics and I will be graduating Spring 2027! I began doing physics education research Spring 2024 with Dr. Tatiana Erukhimova, as I have always had a passion for education as well as physics. Currently, we are focusing on mindset in physics, and whether or not participation in outreach impacts this mindset, as well as directionality. I have presented the results from this study at the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) 2025 Winter Meeting and at the AAPT 2025 Summer Meeting. I will be writing my honor's thesis in this field during the 2025-2026 academic year.
Additionally, during Summer 2025 I began Observational Astronomy research with Dr. Jonelle Walsh through the Aggie Scholarships for Technology Advancements in Astronomical Research (AggieSTAAR) program. Through this program, I have been constructing a library of velocity template stars from the Keck OSIRIS instrument, and presented the initial library at the Summer Undergraduate Research Poster Session. Additionally, I was researching the impact of velocity resolution on the recovery of broad line region kinematics with Dr. Sara Rosoborough.
After I graduate, I plan on attending graduate school to pursue my Ph.D. in Physics or Astronomy. As of right now, I am unsure what I would like to research in graduate school, but plan on making a decision at the end of Spring 2026. After this, I hope to become a professor to have the opportunity to teach and continue research. I would ideally like to teach introductory calculus-based physics courses to share my passion for physics for all students and show them that physics can be fun!