Dakotah Tyler

Dakotah smiling standing in front of an astronomy poster

I started out focused on a different field... a football field (lol). After my playing days were cut short due to complications from a knee injury I suffered at the University of Kentucky, I really wrestled with what direction I wanted to take my life after sports. Astronomy, exoplanets in particular, really interested me. The idea that there are perhaps an infinite number of planets to discover & investigate really engages me to my core. Unfortunately, at the time I lacked a background in math or physics which led me to enrolling in some foundational math and science courses at community college before completing my BS in physics at the University of Cincinnati, where I researched young stellar disks. I participated in an REU with the Solar department at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics as well as a pair of internships at NASA Goddard Spaceflight Center and NASA HQ before landing here in Southern California where I’m currently a first-year PhD student at UCLA. At UCLA, I do observational work analyzing spectra of hot gas giant exoplanet atmospheres, circling back to the aspect of astronomy that drew me in to begin with. Alongside exoplanets, I’m passionate about improving diversity and equity within the field of astronomy. Above all, I feel grateful and blessed to be able to wake up every day and fulfill a passion to study other worlds in our universe.