I did my undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, majoring in both Astronomy-Physics and Mathematics. I graduated in the Spring of 2024, and I am currently a post-baccalaureate researcher at UW-Madison, working with Prof. Melinda Soares-Furtado, Prof. Nick Stone, and Prof Juliette Becker. This fall, I will be attending Harvard University as a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow.
I am originally from Linwood Township, Minnesota, and grew up doing outdoor activities such as fishing and hiking. I am passionate about education, especially in rural areas as they present a unique challenge to astronomy outreach. In my spare time, I continue to hike and fish, but I also like playing sports (tennis, football, golf, etc) and going to the gym.
With Prof. Soares-Furtado, we focus on the detection and characterization of exoplanets with a focus on providing precise age constraints. These planets can serve as benchmarks for theories of formation and evolution. We recently discovered a new exoplanet, TOI-4364b, orbiting a nearby M dwarf that is a Hyades member. We aim to characterize more properties of this system and others, to build a more complete picture of how exoplanet atmospheres, radii, and chemical composition change with time. [1]
A project with Prof. Nick Stone focused on understanding the behavior of compact objects near the centers of galaxies. We aim to characterize their orbital evolution and the occurrence rates of different behavior in preparation for next-generation gravitational wave facilities such as LISA.
Work with Prof. Juliette Becker on understanding the origins of exotic types of planets, such as Ultra-Short-Period Planets. With orbital periods of less than one day, we aim to investigate their formation mechanisms and environment.
(Images made by ChatGPT and Gemini)
Email: adamdistler@fas.harvard.edu
Phone: 651-955-8968
