
Lauren P. Miller.
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Staff Scientist at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)

Lauren P. Miller
B.Sc. in Astrophysics '18
Lehigh University, PA
M.Sc. in Astronomy '23
San Diego State Univ., CA
Education
Fall 2014–Spring 2018
Lehigh University – Bethlehem, PA
Bachelor of Science; Astrophysics
Fall 2018–Fall 2023
San Diego State University – San Diego, CA
Master of Science; Astronomy
Research Interests
Interiors, surfaces, and atmospheres of exoplanets and solar system objects to understand the origin, formation, and evolution of planetary systems and their potential for habitability; observational searches for exoplanets using direct imaging, radial velocity, microlensing, and transit techniques; computational astrophysics
Research Experience
2020 to Present
Staff Scientist II, Science Support
Space Telescope Science Institute
Baltimore, MD
Advisors: Marc Rafelski, Nestor Espinoza
2018 to 2023
Graduate Student Researcher
San Diego State University
San Diego, CA
Advisors: Gael Roudier, Mark Swain, Jerome Orosz
2017-2019
Summer Research Internship
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Pasadena, CA
Advisors: Gael Roudier, Mark Swain
2016-2017
Undergraduate Student Researcher
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA
Advisor: Joshua Pepper
2016
Lee Iacocca International Research Internship
University of Science and Technology of China
Hefei, Anhui, China
Advisor: Hongyan Zhou
Select Presentations and Invited Lectures
Oral Presentation, “Evaluating HASP Flux Calibration Using CALSPEC Models to Enable High-quality Spectral Data from HST”, Accurate Flux Calibration in the Era of Space Astronomy and All-Sky Surveys, October 2024.
Oral Presentation, “Towards Constraints on Morning and Evening Terminators of Distant Worlds with TESS”, 240th Meeting of the American Astronomical Society, June 2022.
Poster Presentation, “Emission Spectra Modeling and Parameter Retrieval for Exoplanet Atmospheres”, 235th Meeting of the American Astronomical Society, January 2020.
Workshop, “Research Internship at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory ”, Society of Women in Space Exploration at SDSU NASA Internships Talk, November 2019.
Oral Presentation, “Emission Spectra Modeling and Parameter Retrieval for Exoplanet Atmospheres”, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Summer Internship Program Final Talk, August 2019.
Oral Presentation, “Exoplanet Secondary Eclipse Spectra in the Near IR: The Contribution of Scattered Light through Aerosols”, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Summer Internship Program Final Talk, August 2018.
Poster Presentation, “Exoplanetary Atmospheres in the Near I.R. Spectrum: Departures from a Homogeneously Distributed Gas Assumption”, Lehigh University Expo, May 2018.
Oral Presentation, “Atmospheric Studies of Exoplanets”, Lehigh University Astronomy-Particle-Nuclear Undergraduate Research Symposium, April 2018.
Poster Presentation, “Exoplanetary Atmospheres in the Near I.R. Spectrum: Departures from a Homogeneously Distributed Gas Assumption”, American Physical Society March Meeting, March 2018.
Oral Presentation, “Exoplanetary Atmospheres in the Near I.R. Spectrum: Departures from a Homogeneously Distributed Gas Assumption”, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Summer Internship Program Final Talk, August 2017.
Poster Presentation, “Light Curve Analysis of Alpha Canum Venaticorum Variable Star HD 240121”, American Physical Society Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics, January 2017.
Oral Presentation, “Data Reduction and Light Curve Analysis for HAT-P-12b from the Antarctic Bright Star Survey Telescope”, University of Science and Technology of China Iacocca International Internship Final Talk, August 2016.
Awards and Honors
STScI BRAVO Award
Space Telescope Science Institute
STScI Staff Award
Space Telescope Science Institue
STScI Team Award
Space Telescope Science Institute
Chambliss Astronomy Achievement Student Award Nominee
American Astronomical Society
Funds for Astronomical Meetings: Outreach to Underrepresented Scientists (FAMOUS) Travel Grant
American Astronomical Society
Reginald F. Buller Endowment Scholarship
San Diego State University
Ruth and Clifford Smith Astronomy Fellowship
San Diego State University
William F. Lucas/San Diego Astronomy Association Memorial Scholarship
San Diego State University
Society of Physics Students Travel Award
Society of Physics Students
Lehigh University C.A.S. Undergraduate Research Grant
Lehigh University College of Arts and Sciences
Lehigh University Schaufeld Scholar
Lehigh University College of Arts and Sciences
Lee Iacocca International Research Internship
Lehigh University Iacocca International Research Program
Dean’s List
Lehigh University Dean of Students
Publications
Miller, L.P, Sankrit, R., Fischer, W.J.,. 2024, Instrument Science Report COS 2024-16
Hernandez, J., Ake, T., Debes, J,..., Miller, L., et al, “Updated Status and Performance of the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph”, 2024, Bulletin of the AAS, 332.07, 244
Indriolo, N., Ake, T., Dos Santos, L.,..., Miller, L., et al, “Improvements to the Geometric Distortion and Walk Corrections”, 2024, Bulletin of the AAS, 360.07, 243
Rowlands, K., Ake, T., Debes, J,..., Miller, L., et al, “Updated Status and Performance of the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph”, 2024, Bulletin of the AAS, 360.31, 243
Debes, J., Sankrit, R.,… Miller, L., 2024, Instrument Science Report COS 2024-01
Miller, L.P., "Modeling and Retrieval of Secondary Eclipse Spectra for Characterizing Cloudy Or Hazy Exoplanet Atmospheres”, San Diego State University Master Thesis, 2023
Fischer, W., Frazer, E.,…, Miller, L.P., 2023, Instrument Science Report COS 2023-28
Sankrit, R., Fischer, W.,…, Miller, L., 2023, Instrument Science Report COS 2023-25
Gomez, S., Debes, J., Dietrich, S,..., Miller, L., et al, “Updated Status and Performance of the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph”, 2023, Bulletin of the AAS, 230.08, 242
Indriolo, N., Fischer, W.,…, Miller, L.P., 2023, Instrument Science Report COS 2023-9
Miller, L.P. & Sankrit, R., 2023, Instrument Science Report COS 2023-5
Rafelski, M., Debes, J., Dietrich, S,..., Miller, L., et al, “Science with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph into the 2030's”, 2023, Bulletin of the AAS, 462.02, 241
Fischer, T., Debes, J., Dietrich, S,..., Miller, L., et al, “Updated Status and Performance of the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph”, 2023, Bulletin of the AAS, 462.01, 241
Fischer, W.J.., Ake, T., Dashtamirova, D.,..., Miller, L.P., et al, “COS 2030: New Lifetime Positions for FUV Spectroscopy with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph”, 2022, Bulletin of
the AAS, 304.02, 240
Miller, L.P., Espinoza, N., Baeyens, R.,..., et al, “Towards Constraints on Morning and Evening Terminators of Distant Worlds with TESS ”, 2022, Bulletin of the AAS,
234.03, 240
Kerman, N.E.B., Ahmad, F., Ake, T.,..., Miller, L.P., et al, “Updated Status and Performance of the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph”, 2022, Bulletin of the AAS, 304.03, 240
Sanhow, D.J., Ake, T., Dashtamirova, D., …, Miller, L., et al, “Extending the life of the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) with new lifetime positions”, 2021, Proceedings of the SPIE,
11821
Plesha, R., Ahmad, F., Ake, T., …, Miller, L.P., et al, “Updated Status and Performance of the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph ”, 2021, Bulletin of the AAS, 216.03, 238
Rafelski, M., James B., …, Miller, L., et al, “Enabling Ultraviolet Science into the 2030’s with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph ”, 2021, Bulletin of the AAS, 326.08 , 237
Fischer, T., Rafelski, M., James B., …, Miller, L., et al, “Updated Status and Performance of the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph ”, 2021, Bulletin of the AAS, 350.01, 237
Miller, L.P., Roudier G., Swain M., Orosz, J., Welsh, W., “Emission Spectra Modeling and Parameter Retrieval for Exoplanet Atmospheres”, 2020, Bulletin of the AAS, 173.6 , 235
Sun, L., Zhou, H., …, Miller, L.P., et al, “Photoionization-driven Absorption-line Variability in Balmer Absorption Line Quasar LBQS 1206+1052”, 2017, ApJ, 838, 88
Technical Skills
Programming: Python, C/C++, LaTeX, MATLab, Maple, SQL, Mathematica, Bash, Git, Linux/Unix, Fortran, IDL
Applications: AstroImageJ, SExtractor, SAOImage DS9, LabVIEW, Arduino, Astrometry.net, Shell, Microsoft OS/Suite, ELC, GitHub, MAST, HST/JWST ETC, APT
Posters




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