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Who are you?
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Leo Y. Alcorn
Good question. I ask myself the same thing most mornings.
In summary, I am a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Toronto Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics. My main research interests are galaxy clusters, galaxy evolution, brightest cluster galaxies, galaxy interactions and mergers, near-infrared instrumentation and data reduction, astronomy outreach, astronomy education, astronomy and religion, and the intersections between science and mysticism. I am obsessed with space and I want to show the world why our universe is so beautiful and mysterious.
In my free time, I am a ballet and modern dancer. I am also very physically active in yoga and pilates. I write short horror stories themed around science and the supernatural. I am also a heavy metal enthusiast, as well as a fan of EDM, goth, punk, and anything else I can dance to. I have two cats, Eris and Kobu, and am a friend to all animals, but especially cats.
My background
I am originally from Sacramento, California, and attended University of California, Davis, for my undergraduate degree. I began as a Fermentation Science major, but changed my major to Physics with an Astrophysics Emphasis. As an undergraduate, I performed research with Professor Tony Tyson on the LSST/Vera Rubin Telescope CCD tests, and with Professor Pat Boeshaar on identifying halo stars in the Milky Way with the Deep Lens Survey. I received my B.S. in Physics in June of 2013.
I moved to College Station, Texas after my undergraduate degree and attended Texas A&M University from August 2013 to May 2019. I received my M.S. in Physics with an Astrophysics emphasis in December of 2016, and my PhD in Astronomy in May of 2019. My supervisor was Professor Kim-Vy Tran, who currently works at the University of New South Wales. Vy and her group started me in galaxy cluster research, and were members of several international collaborations with which I still maintain collaborative relationships.
My first postdoctoral position was at York University in Toronto, Ontario as a York Science Fellow. I worked with Professor Adam Muzzin and his group studying the effects of dense environments such as galaxy clusters.
I currently work at Univerrsity of Toronto as a postdoctoral researcher with Professor Howard Yee, studying galaxy clusters and brightest cluster galaxies using data from CFHT/SITELLE.