Attending a University with a population of nearly 70,000 students, ASU astrophysics graduate student Cody Raskin is used to a little competition.
However, being selected as one of 70 doctoral students in the country to attend a conference in Germany with Nobel laureates in various science fields still came as a surprise to him.
Each summer, top researchers in chemistry, physics, physiology and medicine from around the world convene in Lindau, Germany, for a weeklong meeting with doctoral students and other young researchers, said Nikki Staab, spokeswoman for the School of Earth and Space Exploration.
More than 25,000 students apply each year, making selection highly prestigious, she said. The week itself will include presentations by the laureates and meetings with small groups of students to discuss more specific topics and some of the students’ research.
Raskin said he was honored to be selected and looks forward to meeting with the Nobel laureates to discuss their work and careers.
“It was something that one of my advisers threw out as something I could apply for just to see what would happen, and I did,” Raskin said. “They get a lot of applicants, so I imagine it’s pretty competitive, and I got accepted. I was definitely surprised.”
The application process required multiple documents, including a resume, letters of recommendation and an explanation of the applicant’s research and its importance, Raskin said.
“I think they are essentially looking for graduate students who have performed well, and that includes things like research and publications,” he said.
Raskin’s thesis adviser and astrophysics assistant professor Evan Scannapieco suggested Raskin apply and assisted with his nomination.
“He’s one of those people — you give him a project and he just runs with it. The credit for this is all his,” Scannapieco said. “He’s already positioning himself as a leader in this field and I think he can for sure attain whatever it is he’s hoping to do.”
Currently, Raskin said he wants to become a tenure-track professor at a major research institution.
Raskin’s co-adviser and astrophysics professor Frank Timmes said he strongly believes Raskin will benefit from attending the meeting.
“I’ve known people who have gone before, and they’ve always been quite excited about it,” Timmes said. “It’s well worth the time to chat with these folks and get their impressions. I think it will give him some additional breadth and depth for his research.”
Raskin’s research is focused on re-creating a specific type of supernova that is widely used to measure distances in space.
Astronomers can estimate the distance of a supernova by its brightness.
“It’s a really important tool to astronomers, but no one is really sure what causes it. We have an idea what kind of star, but we don’t know how (it happens),” Raskin said. “My research is to try simulations with different reactions … to see if we can reproduce a type 1a supernova.”
By discovering how a type 1a supernova forms, researchers will gain a better understanding of them, which Raskin said will reduce the error associated with measuring distance.
Raskin has published two papers on the issue that have been cited by other researchers in the field, something that is rather unusual, Timmes said.
“I think Cody will do quite well in the future. He’s motivated, he’s enthusiastic and he’s got the technical skill set required,” Timmes said. “Given all the early signs, he’s on the right track.”
Reach the reporter at keshoult@asu.edu
