Valerie Arriero

My name is Valerie Arriero and I'm a first-year graduate student in the APS department at the University of Colorado, Boulder. I am a first-generation Mexican American student. I received my BS in Applied Mathematics, with dual minors in Physics and Astronomy, from Cal Poly Pomona. I continued my higher education and received my MS in Physics from Cal State LA, where I also did research at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory on exoplanetary atmospheres. I've done some research on active galactic nuclei (AGN) and protostars, but my heart has been smitten by exoplanet atmospheres, specifically exoclouds. I'm also very interested in modeling and observations of exoplanets.

I enjoy mentoring students, helping them navigate their academic careers, and blogging about my academic journey. I also like sleeping, watching movies, getting my steps in (walking or running), hiking, camping, and hanging out with my fiancé and my dog, Bailey.

Advisor: Zach Berta-Thompson