Romy Rodriguez Martinez

Romy Rodriguez Martinez

Romy Rodriguez Martinez

Graduate Student
she/her/hers

rodriguezmartinez.2@osu.edu

4020 McPherson Laboratory

I am presently an Astronomy PhD candidate at The Ohio State University (OSU). I work with Professor Scott Gaudi on the detection and characterization of transiting exoplanets. My research goals include constraining the composition of small, terrestrial exoplanets by combining precise radii, masses, and host star chemical abundances.

Using data from the Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope (KELT) survey and the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), I led the discovery of two ultra short-period hot Jupiters, KELT-25b and KELT-26b. Previously, I worked with Professor Laura Lopez studying the variability and flare rates of M-dwarf stars using data from the All-Sky Automated Survey for SuperNovae (ASAS-SN). During that time, in collaboration with the ASAS-SN team, I also led the discovery of a powerful flare on a previously undiscovered M dwarf.

I obtained a bachelors and master's degree in Physics at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras. For my master's thesis, I worked under the supervision of Professor Sarah Ballard on the characterization of M-dwarf exoplanet hosts using near-infrared spectroscopy. I enjoy science outreach and mentoring and have mentored OSU undergraduates and high school students. In my spare time, I enjoy playing piano, painting, and learning languages. Please check out my webpage for more information.