Reaching for the Starts: Interview with Romy Rodrigues Martinez

Irma J. Zamora Fuerte, Doctoral Student, English

On December 10, 2021, OSU announced the 40 winners of the Presidential Fellowship, which is known as “the most prestigious award given by the Graduate School” honoring students in their dissertation phase. We had the opportunity to connect with one of the recipients, Romy Rodriguez Martinez, a PhD student in the Astronomy department:

1. What has inspired you to reach for the stars?

I’ve had many inspirations growing up and as an adult. I’ve always been interested in space and science and I liked math in school. One thing that inspired me to pursue a PhD in astronomy was learning about all the cool exoplanet discoveries from the Kepler space telescope, which was launched around the time I was in college and thinking about future career options. Another thing that motivated to pursue astronomy was being able to attend a few astronomy conferences and talking to actual astronomers and learning about their research and seeing what it’s like to do astronomy.

2. Your page mentions that you led the discovery of two ultra short-period hot Jupiters. We can’t imagine what satisfaction you must feel with an accomplishment like this, or maybe it makes you thirst for more?

That project was very special for me because part of the reason I decided to go to graduate school was because I wanted to discover and characterize exoplanets, and I remember reading about exoplanet discoveries in college and dreaming about being involved in that type of work. So when I ended up getting the chance to lead the discovery of two new planets only a few years later, I was ecstatic. That project also gave me the opportunity to work in a large team and collaborate with a lot of amazing astronomers, so it was a tremendously humbling and enriching experience. Now there are other projects on the horizon so I’m looking forward to doing more research. That’s the good thing about astronomy: there’s always more to learn and discover.

3. Your page also mentions outreach work. Why do you do this work? What does community mean for you?

I think it’s important for scientists to bring our work to the general public in accessible, engaging ways. We live in an increasingly scientific and technological world in which a lot of people are disconnected from science and misinformation is rampant. This is very problematic especially when we consider the global problems facing humans today, such as the current pandemic and the impending climate crisis. Effective science communication is therefore perhaps more important now than ever. It’s also important for me to give back to the community and try to reach and inspire folks from diverse backgrounds, and to show people that science is for everyone. It feels very rewarding to provide guidance to more junior students and advice that I wish I had received when I was at earlier career stages. Besides all that, outreach is just genuinely fun and can be a nice distraction from research!

4. You mention several mentors. Did you choose your mentors or did they choose you? What advice do you have for other students who may not know how to find mentors, or who may not understand how mentors can help them?

In my astronomy PhD program, students get to choose the type of research and advisors they want to work with, so I was lucky enough to be able to do that and I have worked with incredible advisors. In general, if students have the choice, I think it’s important to find an advisor who is invested not only in your academic growth but also in your personal growth and well-being. Your advisor will play a fundamental role in your life so make sure you find someone who is a good fit for you.

5. Did you always identify as an astronomer, or was this a process? What message do you have for others who might be thinking about research or a particular career, but might feel like they don’t belong?

For me, it is definitely still a work in progress. As with everything, some days you may feel confident in your abilities and other days not so much. But I think what ultimately matters is to recognize those feelings as transient and not get too discouraged by failure and setbacks. If you really enjoy something and it makes you happy, then that’s where you belong. Nothing else matters. Continuously challenging yourself in new ways and keeping focused on your goals will help you build confidence over time. At the same time, it’s super important to find people and mentors who will support you in your goals and who will advocate for you.

Headshot Romy Rodriguez Martinez

"when I ended up getting the chance to lead the discovery of two new planets only a few years later, I was ecstatic."