An Interview With Anavi Uppal

Anavi Uppal is an incoming freshman at Yale University who plans to major in astrophysics. She is interested in astronomy outreach, scientific journalism, and astrophotography. Anavi recently became part of a research project that aims to study the exoplanet Qatar-1b. In the past, she has participated in supernova research at a Yale summer research program, and has researched lunar geology and helped design a lunar habitat at a NASA-sponsored internship. Anavi is the founder of the Windermere Prep Astronomy Club, and has organized two high-altitude weather balloon launches with the club. She has been doing astrophotography for several years, and specializes in landscape astrophotography.

"Moving from Michigan to Florida right before 8th grade is what forged the career path that I’m on today. Changing locations and schools made me try new things and reach out to new people. In school, my science teacher Mrs. Schoenberger really encouraged me to pursue my budding passion for astronomy, and at home, I finally learned how to use the telescope that my parents had gotten me for my tenth birthday. I watched NASA rocket launches from my front yard, and joined the Central Florida Astronomical Society. In my new home, I found so many things that increased my interest in astronomy that I realized I wanted to pursue it for the rest of my life."

What inspires you?

Whenever I look up into the night sky, I am reminded of just how much we don’t know about ourselves and our universe. What inspires me is that every day, I get to wake up and tackle my own little bit of that unknown.

What did you want to be when you were younger?

When I was younger, I wanted to be a marine biologist. I loved collecting shells when I visited beaches, and read lots of books about ocean animals.

Which subjects did you enjoy at school?

My favorite subject was math. Math describes the world in beautiful terms. It reveals the mysterious patterns woven into our universe and helps us understand our lives. I had the same wonderful math teacher for five years, and he always encouraged us to look beyond the textbook and figure things out for themselves. I wrote one of my favorite papers in high school for his math class, in which I created and outlined a method for predicting the number of meteors an observer is likely to see per hour based on date, time, and their location.

What would you like to tell your younger self?

Don’t apologize or feel bad for being nerdy. Some people will put you down for it and distance themselves from you, but it’s a wonderful quality to have. You’ll eventually find many amazing friends who are just as passionate about STEM as you are. Don’t be ashamed of the fact that you’re passionate about astronomy, because it’s one of the coolest things about you.

Why did you choose STEM?

The idea of getting to discover fantastic new things about the nature of the universe is very exciting to me. Whether it’s learning about an alien-like creature that lives at the bottom of the ocean, discovering an exoplanet, or using math in revolutionary new ways, STEM has never failed to make me feel lucky to live in this world. I chose to pursue astrophysics in particular because I want to contribute to humanity’s knowledge about the mysterious space beyond Earth.

How important is it for you to stand out?

It’s important to me that I stand out as my own authentic self. I think that being true to yourself is the best way to stand out in any crowd, because the choices that you make in your life and career will be unique to you. Don’t cover up quirks in your personality or hide uncommon interests, because these are part of what makes you special.

What difficulties did you face in the industry, as a woman?

I’ve been in professional situations where a male colleague has underestimated and disparaged my work and that of my teammates, simply because we were women. When this first happened, I took it to heart, and questioned if I was qualified enough to do the task at hand. But after reflection, I realized that all of us were in the same place because of our own merit. I wouldn’t be there if I wasn’t qualified. Instead of letting these misogynistic comments pull my confidence down, I began learning how to address and overcome them.

What advice would you give to the next generation of female scientists?

Take what you’re passionate about and run with it. Look for new opportunities, keep in contact with people who share your interests, and never stop pursuing your passion. And most important of all, take advantage of each opportunity you get, because you never know which one could lead you to something better.

Exoplanet Research (2020) I am currently studying the exoplanet Qatar-1b through a group at Stanford online high school. Our goal is to freshen exoplanet transit midpoints to optimize telescope time allocation, and to analyze exoplanet transit midpoint variations. Guest Speaker with EduSTEM (2020) I have given two astronomy talks at online events hosted by EduSTEM’s Lucknow branch. The first was about NASA’s search for life on Mars, and the second was on the formation of planets. Yale Summer Program in Astrophysics (YSPA) (2019) YSPA is a research program that accepts 32 high school seniors annually. With my team of three other high schoolers, I performed spectroscopic and photometric analysis on the newly discovered supernova SN 2019hyk using Python. We collected our data using remote and on-site telescopes. We also wrote a paper on our research and submitted our findings to the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO). NASA SEES Intern Program (2018) I attended the 2018 NASA STEM Enhancement in Earth Science High School Summer Intern Program. I worked with NASA scientists at Johnson Space Center and a team of three other interns at UT Austin to design a lunar habitat and mission. I was responsible for researching anomalous or important lunar features that should be studied by the astronauts during the mission. I also co-wrote a paper based on our lunar habitat research that was then read by scientists at NASA’s Lunar and Planetary Institute. University of Arizona Astronomy Camp (2017) I learned about planetary and space science, as well as how to use observatory telescopes and do spectroscopy. Using the observatory telescopes on and nearby Mt. Lemmon, I performed spectroscopy on galaxies. I also learned how to write scientific papers and how to present scientific research. As a group, we researched and discussed landing sites for NASA’s 2020 Mars Rover, and actually accurately predicted NASA’s chosen landing site, which was recently announced to be Jezero Crater.

"In the summer after 9th grade, I attended the University of Arizona Astronomy Camp. Prior to this, I hadn’t been exposed to astronomy in any formal way. This experience inspired me to seek out more ways to engage with people interested in astronomy and astrophysics. During 10th grade, I founded the WPS Astronomy Club at my school, and I spent the next three years working on astronomy projects with the club. The summer after 10th grade, I attended the NASA SEES internship program at the University of Texas at Austin. This opportunity confirmed to me that I wanted to and would be able to pursue astrophysics in the future. This experience was also incredibly important to me, as I made many friends and connections there who are all incredibly talented in their chosen fields of study, and have introduced me to new communities and points of view. The following summer, I attended the Yale Summer Program in Astrophysics, where I learned how to do formal astronomy research. All of these experiences gave me the knowledge and confidence that I needed to start finding my own path in STEM. Within the span of a year, I hosted two planetarium shows at Yale, became a guest astronomy lecturer with EduSTEM, started doing exoplanet research with some astronomy friends, and became an astrophotography editor on the freelance site Fiverr. I’m now looking forward to becoming a student at Yale and learning much more about astrophysics. I plan to look for research opportunities and internships during the next couple of years."

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