Jimmy Henderson

Undergraduate student at the University of Montana

Field: physics and math

"There is a lot of scientific curiosity in the world and everybody has a unique perspective to share."

Jimmy Henderson

I am a student at the University of Montana, studying both physics and mathematics. My high school teacher, Mr. Hammil, was the person who initially got me interested in a career in science, and by the time I was 18, I knew I wanted to study physics.

As a student, I have the opportunity to do research with Project MINERVA (Miniature Exoplanet Radial Velocity Array), which searches for Earth-like planets around nearby stars. For this project, I mainly write computer codes like telling a telescope what pictures to take. Then my fellow researchers and I use the date from the images to do something meaningful, like try to find a planet around a star. Last summer, I was able to do research with the SETI (Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence) Institute and with the NASA Ames Research Center. The best part about these jobs is the people I get to meet and the cool things I get to learn.

I also enjoy tutoring college students in physics and math for the UM's TRiO tutoring program and I love to play video games, watch Star Wars, and spend time outdoors. After graduating, I plan on attending graduate school to be able to get a job as an astrophysical research scientist and professor so I can teach other people about the amazing universe.