Carissma McGee

Carissma McGee is a PhD candidate in aeronautics and astronautics whose research is focused on high-contrast imaging and exoplanet characterization. As a MathWorks Fellow, Carissma will pursue several goals connected to the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. The goal of Carissma’s work, which draws significantly on MATLAB, is to ensure precise mass measurements and optimize observational strategies for the mission using a combination of advanced optical systems, deformable mirrors, and sophisticated control algorithms. By modeling the behavior of light as it passes through the telescope’s optics, interacts with the deformable mirrors, and reaches the science camera, Carissma will ensure that the Roman Space Telescope achieves and maintains the desired high-contrast conditions in the dark zone. Her work is yielding new MATLAB models and algorithms for high-contrast imaging and wavefront control of value to other researchers. Carissma’s research and critical support of the Roman Space Telescope mission have the potential to offer critical new insights into the formation and evolution of planetary systems.