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WSGC Student Spotlight: Nikolaus Prusinski

November 01, 2019

Nikolaus Prusinski
Senior
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Major: Astrophysics
Minor: Mathematics

Congratulations to this week’s #WSGCStudentSpotlight, Nikolaus Prusinski! Nikolaus is the two-time recipient of an Undergraduate Scholarship award. This year, he will be a senior studying at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with a major in astrophysics and a minor in mathematics.

Nikolaus completed high school in two years, starting college full-time at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee at the age of 15. In his time there, Nikolaus worked with the Arecibo Remote Command Center (ARCC), where he remotely observed with the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico and the Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia. The data observed from the telescopes would then be analyzed by Nikolaus to detect and study pulsars, collaborating with other institutions from around the country.

Now, Nikolaus does research with Professor Erb, studying star-formation and galactic outflows in the early universe to determine if galaxies with more star formation also drive more powerful outflows, and to understand how the outflow properties relate to galaxy structure. He also works at the Manfred Olson Planetarium as a lead stargazer, presenting live stargazing shows to the public and overseeing the maintenance and repairs of the telescopes; but his academic career has been focused on pursuing a PhD in astrophysics. In the future, Nikolaus hopes to study cosmology, gravity, and theoretical astrophysics from an abstract perspective (topologically, and algebraically), continuing his work in STEM and as an intermediary between the scientific community and the public.

Congratulations Nikolaus, and best of luck in your future!

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