β¦ WELCOME TO MY CORNER OF THE COSMOS β¦
Valeria Menjivar
astrophysicist Β· researcher Β· builder of tiny universes
Hi! I'm Valeria β an astrophysicist studying how galaxies grow and how black holes feed.
I work on AGN feedback, ionizing spectra, and the light that escapes the earliest galaxies. Right now I'm an NRAO research fellow, and next I'm off to the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian.
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β¦ Research
an asteroid belt of experiences β scroll to orbit through them
Ionizing Spectra of LyC Emitters
Williams College β Honors ThesisAug 2024 β May 2026
Advisor: Dr. Anne JaskotJoint HST/COS + JWST/MIRI analysis of eight Lyman-continuum-emitting galaxies. I built a CLOUDY photoionization pipeline in Python and ΟΒ² fit mid-IR diagnostics per galaxy. Result: no systematic mid-IR difference between LyC leakers and non-leakers β consistent with a geometric origin for LyC escape.JWSTHSTCLOUDYPythonSpectroscopy
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touching down on the red planet β a billboard staked in the dust
β HONORS & AWARDS β
Sigma XiInducted 2026
Brooke Owens Fellowship2025 Β· 1 of ~50 from 1,000+ applicants
Chambliss Astronomy Achievement AwardFinalist β AAS 248 (2026) & AAS 245 (2025)
Aviation Week 20 TwentiesNominee, Class of 2026
NAC Scholar2023
Williams Int'l Public Service Grant$4,000 for NINE Hub
Curiosity
Perseverance
Sojourner
Opportunity
π Publications
4 papers1ST AUTHORIonized Gas Outflows as a Function of Radio Source Size in Seyfert and LINER AGN
Lopez Menjivar, A.; Lacy, M.In preparation, 2026Mid-Infrared Diagnostics and the Shape of Ionizing Spectra in Low-Metallicity LyC Emitters
Jaskot, A.; Lopez Menjivar, A.In preparation, 2026Hot Jupiter β Cold Jupiter: A Complex Sibling Relation
Errico, A.; Wittenmyer, R.; Horner, J.; Carter, B.; LΓ³pez, A.PASA, Accepted 2026 Β· arXiv:2603.125681ST AUTHORPostcolonial Techno-Futurism: The Challenges of Siting Telescopes on Sacred Lands
Lopez Menjivar, A.MIT Science Policy Review, Aug 2025
βΈ PresentationsASTRO-OS Β· 9:41
Ionized Gas Outflows in Seyfert & LINER AGN
iPoster Β· AAS 248 (2026)Presented VLASS Γ DESI outflow results and the radio-size correlation to the American Astronomical Society.
β deep field
Mid-IR Diagnostics of LyC Emitters
Thesis Colloquium Β· Williams CollegeDepartmental talk on CLOUDY modeling of Lyman-continuum leakers and the geometry of ionizing escape.
Postcolonial Techno-Futurism
MIT Science Policy Β· 2025Talk on the ethics of telescope siting on sacred lands, bridging astrophysics and WGSS.
β transit
3languages (EN Β· ES Β· FR)
100+planetarium visitors / show
1stradio-astro platform in C.A.
β nebula
Milham Planetarium Operator
Williams CollegeOperate the Zeiss Skymaster ZKP3/B projector and write & present bilingual (EN/ES) public shows on constellations, stellar evolution, and eclipses.
NINE Hub β Co-Founder
Central America's first radio-astronomy platformBuilt open, bilingual Python curriculum introducing radio astronomy to Central American students with no prior coding background.
Peer Mentor & TA
Astronomy & PhysicsMentored students in observational astronomy, CCD calibration, and long-slit spectroscopy on the 24β³ optical telescope.
β orbit
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β¦ Say hello
questions, collaborations, or just want to talk about black holes? drop me a line.
made with β‘ among the stars Β· Β© 2026 Valeria Menjivar