news

Posted on

second public data release of the FIRE-2 simulations

With our second public data release, we have released nearly every FIRE-2 simulation, with nearly every snapshot for each simulation.

In Wetzel et al 2025, we describe the second public data release (DR2) of the FIRE-2 simulations, available at flathub.flatironinstitute.org/fire. DR2 contains nearly every available snapshot from 119 simulations, spanning massive to Milky Way-mass to ultra-faint galaxies, with up to 601 snapshots each across z = 0 to 99, as well as halo/galaxy catalogs with full merger trees, particle tracking, and 3-D formation coordinates for all star particles. DR2 also includes physics variations, including dark-matter-only resimulations, resimulations with a modified ultraviolet background, and resimulations with magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) and cosmic rays.

Posted on

promotion to (full) professor

As of today, I am promoted to (full) professor. Thanks in particular to my research group over the years since I started as faculty for helping to bring me here. Now let the additional administrative/committee responsibilities roll in!

Posted on

TEDx talk

I was delighted to give a talk today at TEDx UC Davis 2025. I spoke about Out of Chaos Comes Order: The History of Our Milky Way Galaxy. A recording is available below.

I was humbled to share the stage with a fantastic set of fellow speakers: Dan Firstenberg, Sonya Hassan-Carey, Jade Tso, Chris Froh, A.J. Bleyer, and Leigh Bardugo.

Posted on

PECASE award

President Biden has named me as one of nearly 400 recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). PECASE is the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on outstanding scientists and engineers early in their careers who show exceptional potential for leadership. I am one of 7 faculty at UC Davis honored with PECASE this year, including two of us within the College of Letters & Science. I am grateful to the National Science Foundation for nominating me for this award.

Posted on

Dr. Matt Bellardini

Dr. Matt Bellardini

Dr. Matt Bellardini is our group’s third graduating PhD student! He completed his PhD dissertation on Chemical Evolution Across Cosmic Time: Stellar Elemental Abundance Patterns and Radial Redistribution in Cosmological Simulations. Matt is searching for industry jobs in the Seattle area. Congratulations Dr. Bellardini!