Abigail Dunnigan

Biography

I am a rising senior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, majoring in physics with a concentration in astrophysics. I joined SPS in my first year at UNC, and have been involved ever since. I am also actively involved in another club called Visibility in Physics (ViP), which works closely with SPS and aims to advocate for underrepresented groups in physics. In this organization, I have served as outreach coordinator, vice president, and will serve as co-president for my senior year. In my sophomore year with ViP, I realized how difficult it can be for one person to organize outreach that undergraduates can get involved in. So I helped start an outreach committee for SPS and served as one of the co-chairs for 1.5 years, leading regular meetings and overseeing the outreach efforts made by committee members. This past year, I served as the outreach coordinator for SPS, and I have had a great experience both serving on the exec board and helping to build a stronger community with the undergrad physics students. In addition to increased outreach we have done events like stargazing nights, a camping trip, and a meet-up with a local SPS chapter. I have research experience in galaxy evolution and the interior structure and dynamics of planets, and in my senior year I will be applying for PhD programs in geophysics and planetary science. In the future I hope to work at a research institution such as NASA and be involved in missions that explore the planets and moons of our solar system. Alongside that, I hope to use outreach to engage the public about what these missions do and help others find their path in space research.