About me:

Get to know my academic inspirations and aspirations

Hi there!

My name is Levi Walls (he/him), a first-generation student pursuing a PhD in Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Michigan advised by Prof. Ted Bergin at Michigan and Dr. Hui Li at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Having been fortunate enough to try many different research projects throughout my educational journey, I have found my academic home in the protoplanetary disk and planet formation community. I am particularly inspired by the joint progress being made in the numerical techniques and theory of planet formation as well as the ever-growing number of protoplanetary disk observations with instruments like ALMA, NOEMA, and JWST. The detailed, global simulations of protostellar disks I run are aimed to build theoretical frameworks contextualizing the clues to the origins of planets that the disk observations are providing.

Research:

Tackling big questions in planet formation

These are some questions that have inspired and continue to inspire my research journey:

  • Can we trace back the chemical and dynamical history of water in protostellar disks?

  • How are organic molecules distributed throughout young disks?

  • What do the observational signatures of planetesimal nurseries tell us?

  • How does dust growth affect protoplanetary disks and vice versa?

To learn more about how I have contributed to answering these questions, feel free to click below

Teaching:

Inspiring those who follow

Facilities used in teaching at Angell Hall. Left: 0.4 m Ritchey-Chretien reflector; Middle: Dome from the outside; Right: Zeiss ZKP 3/B projector in a 24-ft Astro-Tec dome

I believe teaching is one of the most tangible ways we, as astronomers, can make a direct impact on our communities and society. Like astronomical research, pedagogical advances are shaping the way in which I interact with my students. I take these principles to my classroom and strive to continually improve how I share my love of astronomy with the next generation of students. To learn more about the courses I have taught and the efforts I have taken to bolster my teaching, click below.

Outreach:

Making a difference in my community

Outside of my work, I spend time in the communities I cherish trying to make positive change that speaks to my passions. I strive to enrich these communities by encouraging dialogue and practices that allow for everyone to participate, while acknowledging the varied ways in which we each show up in our day-to-day. My efforts along these lines have culminated me earning the DEI Certificate through the Rackham Graduate School at the University of Michigan and has been recognized within my home department have with the PACE Fellowship.