Natalia C. Villanueva

Welcome! I’m a first-year Astronomy PhD student at UT Austin, working with Prof. Steven Finkelstein on the evolution of structure in early galaxies. I work on spatially-resolved analyses of JWST and Euclid imaging of high-redshift galaxies, focusing on characterizing the coevolution of galaxy size and morphology with star formation, and the physical processes building-up stellar mass in early galaxies. I am part of the JWST JADES and CEERS collaborations and Euclid team.

I grew up in New Hampshire, and am proud to be a Puerto Rican in astronomy! My small-town and Hispanic roots fuel my passion for sharing the Universe with others and making astronomy accessible for everybody. I stayed in New England for my undergraduate degree at Harvard University, where I first discovered my interests in galaxy morphology with Prof. Daniel Eisenstein and Dr. Sandro Tacchella, and spent a year abroad in England for a research master’s at the University of Cambridge (Kavli Institute for Cosmology), continuing my work with Dr. Tacchella. I have deeply enjoyed Austin, Texas so far, as there is no shortage of food & music culture, indoor/sand volleyball, and excuses to spend time outside in the sunshine!