Jaren Ashcraft Selected as 2024 NASA Sagan Fellow

NASA has awarded 24 postdoctoral fellowships for 2024 in astrophysics, including one to an upcoming PhD graduate of the Wyant College of Optical Sciences, Jaren Ashcraft. As one of eight selected Sagan Fellows, Jaren's proposal title was, "Optimizing the Vector Field for Next-Generation Astrophysics."

NASA said of the fellowship program, "The program fosters excellence and inclusive leadership in astrophysics by supporting a diverse group of exceptionally promising and innovative early-career astrophysicists...Over 520 applicants vied for the 2024 fellowships. Each fellowship provides the awardee up to three years of support at a U.S. institution." Read more about the 2024 NASA Hubble Fellowship Program.

Additionally, Mark Clampin, director of the Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. said, "They [the fellows] will undoubtedly be future leaders in the field of Astronomy and Astrophysics."

Jaren is completing his PhD under the supervision of Dr. Ewan Douglas, Assistant Professor of Astronomy at Steward Observatory, and will continue his work at University of California, Santa Barbara. Dr. Douglas said, "It's been a great privilege to work with Jaren for the past five years and witness his enthusiasm for tackling big problems while sharing both the tools and results he develops along the way with the broader community."

Moving forward, Jaren will study how optical polarization can limit the ability of next-generation observatories to directly image Earth-like exoplanets. This phenomenon, known as polarization aberration, is particularly problematic for the ground-based 30-meter Extremely Large Telescopes and the future space-based Habitable Worlds Observatory. Jaren will construct integrated optical models to assess the sensitivity of coronagraphs to the polarization aberrations of these observatories. He will then explore strategies to mitigate the influence of polarization aberrations on astronomical observations, including investigating novel technologies like metasurfaces and liquid crystals to serve as compensators.

Jaren shared his excitement for the fellowship and his future at UCSB saying, “The Sagan Fellowship is a dream come true, I get to work on cool optical technology to support NASA's mission of directly imaging potential habitable worlds. What's more, I get to do so with an incredible group of collaborators!"

Congratulations, Jaren!