Haleigh Brown

Graduate Student, Planetary Science

What are you are studying/what you are interested in studying and/or researching while at Purdue? If you have done internships or other applicable experiences, feel free to include them here.

I am a computational astrobiologist working with Dr. Stephanie Olson in the Earth, Atmosphere, and Planetary Sciences department here at Purdue. My research primarily involves the application of numerical climate models and machine learning techniques to explore planetary habitability, focusing on both exoplanets and early Earth.

What made you want to join the Leading Women Toward Space Careers program?

I was drawn to the Leading Women Towards Space Careers program for its emphasis on circular mentorship. The opportunity to simultaneously mentor and be mentored—engaging with and incorporating feedback from both newcomers and seasoned experts in the field—seemed too valuable to pass up. Additionally, the chance to gain a deeper understanding of the day-to-day experiences of women in this field was compelling enough to ensure my involvement.

What area would you like to work in after graduation? (What career path, interests, opportunities, etc., would you like to accomplish? What field are you interested in?)

I am eager to engage in projects like NASA’s Habitable Worlds Observatory, directing our search for life across the universe and interpreting data related to this quest. Additionally, I am particularly interested in employing unsupervised machine learning techniques to enhance our search for life.