Chris Carr is a sixth-year graduate student at Columbia University, in the final year of his Ph.D. in astronomy & astrophysics. He earned his B.A. in physics and astronomy from Case Western Reserve University, where his research on nearby dwarf galaxies and dark matter theory won him the prestigious James C. Wyant Award for Research in Physics. His current research combines analytical models, simulations, and observational data to explore our Galaxy's circumgalactic medium, its diffuse atmosphere of gas bound to the galaxy, and its interaction with the Large Magellanic Cloud, the Milky Way's most massive satellite galaxy. This interest stems from previous work involving high-resolution simulations that model the Milky Way's response to interactions with another nearby dwarf galaxy, Sagittarius, as well as his past research building simple, interpretable models of the co-evolution between galaxy growth and the circumgalactic medium.
Beyond his research, Chris is a passionate science communicator. He previously hosted Enter Galactic, a science radio talk show on WRUW-FM 91.1 in Cleveland for three years. He now serves as a host and producer for Astronomy on Tap NYC. Chris is particularly interested in the intersection of art and science. In 2023, he was a participating scientist in the Microcosms program at the American Museum of Natural History, collaborating with artists to bring astrophysical concepts to life through performance.