I'm Faezeh!

I'm a second-year PhD student at the University of California, Riverside, and I am involved in studying the universe when it was young enough that we know very little about it. My main tools are space and ground-based telescopes, and of course, some languages other than human ones (for programming, of course!).

Research

I did my bachelor's in physics at Shiraz University. At that time, I was fortunate to be a member of a research group at Biruni Observatory in Shiraz, working under the supervision of Dr. Moein Mosleh. I did my undergraduate thesis on observing transiting exoplanets, collecting the data myself at the observatory and performing all the data reduction and analysis. After graduating, I joined a research group at the Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM) in Tehran as a postbac researcher, worked with Dr. Atefeh Javadi , studying the star formation history of the dwarf galaxy NGC 6822.

Currently, I am a PhD student at the University of California, Riverside, working under the supervision of Dr. Brian Siana. My main research project is to study the evolution of galaxies at high redshift using photometric and spectroscopic data. My primary research interests are centered on understanding the burstiness of star formation and investigating the spatially resolved properties of massive, evolved systems at high redshifts. I aim to explore their formation mechanisms, evolutionary pathways, and their role in the broader context of galaxy evolution across cosmic time.

BEASTS in the BUBBLES

BEASTS is a JWST Cycle 1 GO Program that will use the NIRSpec Integral Field Unit (IFU) to study the most luminous galaxies at z~9, only 500 million years after the Big Bang. Using the spatially-resolved power of IFU spectroscopy, BEASTS will reveal the physical processes responsible for the extreme UV luminosities of these galaxies, including their star-formation rates, stellar masses, and dust extinction. These insights will be invaluable for refining models of galaxy formation, and for understanding the existence of ultra-massive galaxies at later epochs in the history of the cosmos.

Observation of Transiting Exoplanets

In my undergraduate project, under the supervision of Dr. Moein Mosleh at Biruni Observatory Shiraz, Iran, I observed and collected data for the transiting exoplanet HAT-P-32b using the observatory's telescope. I selected the target using the Exoplanet Transit Database (ETD) and successfully observed two consecutive transits in the V and B bands. I performed data reduction, image processing, and applied differential photometry to calibrate the images. Finally, I made the transit light curve and used ELCA to extract key parameters, referencing the original discovery paper of HAT-P-32b.

Publications

My full name is Faezehsadat Akhlaghimanesh, but I use Faezeh Manesh for papers and in most places. You can find all my published work on my Googl Scholar profile.

[1] Manesh, F., Weaver, J., ..., et al., (in preparation). Unveiling Fast-Forming Galaxies at Cosmic Dawn.

[2] Taamoli, S., ..., Manesh, F., et al., 2024. COSMOS2020: Disentangling the Role of Mass and Environment in Star Formation Activity of Galaxies at 0.4 < z < 4 .

Community Engagement & Outreach

At the beginning of my undergraduate studies, I was fortunate to join the outreach team at Biruni Observatory. As part of this team, I helped organize events such as stargazing nights, public lectures, and guided tours, showcasing the observatory's facilities and telescopes. This experience allowed me to share my passion for astronomy, help others appreciate the beauty of the universe, and discover how fulfilling it is to inspire curiosity and wonder in others. As a graduate student now, I’m deeply passionate about continuing to contribute to outreach events. If you have any ideas or projects in mind, I’d be more than happy to hear them and get involved!

Staryab

I am a co-manager and author at Staryab, a monthly astrophysical literature website in Farsi, run by Iranian astronomers from around the world. Staryab aims to bridge the gap between professional astronomy and those at the start of their journey—undergraduate students in physics and astronomy, passionate high school students, and amateur astronomers. Each month, we feature a paper and present it in a clear, accessible format for our readers. These articles are prepared by Iranian professional astronomers, both within Iran and abroad. If you’re interested in contributing to Staryab, don’t hesitate to get in touch—we’d love to hear from you!

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AURORA

I am a core member of AURORA, the Astronomy Union for Reading, Outreach, and Research Activities. I am actively involved in organizing events and initiatives to create a vibrant and engaging community for graduate students in astronomy at UCR and beyond. Currently, we are reaching out to scientists—including faculty, postdocs, and especially graduate students—from around the world to invite them to share their exciting research. Our goal is to foster discussions and explore different research fields together. If you’re interested in sharing your work and engaging in discussions with us at UCR, please get in touch! We would love to have you join us!

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CV & Highlights

Education

Ph.D. in Astronomy (Expected 2028)
University of California, Riverside, California
M.Sc. in Astronomy (2024)
University of California, Riverside, California
B.Sc. in Physics (2022)
Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

Positions

Graduate Research Assistant (2023-Present)
University of California, Riverside, CA
Undergraduate Research Assistant (2022-2023)
Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Undergraduate Research Assistant (2018-2022)
Biruni Observatory, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

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Email

faezeh.akhlaghimanesh@gmail.com

Address

900 University Ave.
Riverside, CA 92521
United States of America