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Meet the 2025-2026 Board
Olivia Lucal
President
Class of 2027
Olivia is a third year studying Astrophysics and Computer science. Currently, she is working under Dr. Fred Ciesla in the Department of Geophysical Sciences, where she is using N-body simulations to model the early solar system. She is hoping to investigate how dynamical interactions shaped the Main Asteroid Belt! She also loves sci-fi books (of course), good breakfast sandwiches, and very aggressive card games.
Asher Jiang
Vice President
Class of 2027
Asher is a third-year studying Math and Physics and passionate about all things astro. Previously, he’s done astrophysics research at NASA and the UChicago astrophysics department under Dr. Michael Zheng. Some of his research interests include exoplanet atmospheres and fast radio bursts. He is also an avid astrophotographer and builds telescopes in his spare time. Aside from astronomy, he enjoys rollerblading, speedcubing, and mastering the art of the perfect pancake flip.
Ashley Ashiku
Event Coordinator and Department Liaison
Class of 2027
Ashley is a third year Astrophysics major with a research background in observational and experimental astrophysics. She studies nearby, Earth-like exoplanets and determine the feasibility of atmospheric follow-up by the James Webb Space Telescope. She is working on two balloon-borne instruments: UCIRC3, an infrared camera for the NASA POEMMA mission, and PASCAL, a stratospheric particle collector for the 2026 NASA HASP launch. She’s also an engineer on UChicago’s PULSE-A CubeSat, and her favorite class has been PHYS 264 Spacetime and Black Holes! Ashley also loves anything outdoors: skiing, fishing, surfing— oh, and she’s trying to break a Guinness World Record for frosting cupcakes!!
Siddhi Raut
Secretary
Class of 2028
Siddhi is a second year studying Astrophysics and Physics
Calvin O’Brien
Treasurer
Class of 2028
Calvin is a second year studying Astronomy and Astrophysics with a particular interest in Observational Astronomy. His research background consists of working with Professor Mike Gladders on gravitational lensing & lensed quasar fields. Outside of academia, Calvin is a lifelong cook & trivia fanatic. Hailing from a suburb of Boston, MA, Calvin is an avid explorer of the city culture through any method, be it trains, buses, walking, or restaurants!
