elizabeth s. yunerman

phd candidate

center for astrophysics | harvard & smithsonian

research mini cv contact me : eyunerman at cfa dot harvard dot edu

i model the physical and chemical evolution of dust, gas, and ice in planet forming disks grounded by observations and laboratory experiments, keeping in mind the stages that come before and after formation.

E. Yunerman, E. Price, K. Öberg  ·  ApJ 1004, 63  ·  apr. 2026 Icy Volatile Enhancements in Evolving Protoplanetary Disks
E. Yunerman, D. Powell, R. Murray-Clay  ·  ApJ 961, 33  ·  jan. 2024 A Pathway for Collisional Planetesimal Growth in the Ice-dominant Regions of Protoplanetary Disks
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education
Harvard UniversityCambridge, MA
Ph.D. in Astronomy & Astrophysics2021 – present
M.A. in Astronomy & Astrophysics2025
University of California, Santa CruzSanta Cruz, CA
B.S. in Physics, minor in Planetary Science2017 – 2021
2022 Dean's, Chancellor's, and Steck Awards for Finest Undergraduate Research Thesis
research positions
Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian2021 – present
Advisors: Prof. Karin Öberg, Dr. Ellen Price
modeling volatile redistribution in protoplanetary disks
Caltech Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowshipsummer 2020
Advisors: Prof. Philip Hopkins, Dr. Jonathan Squire
simulating the disk settling instability at small scales
University of California, Santa Cruz2018 – 2023
Advisors: Prof. Ruth Murray-Clay, Prof. Diana Powell
modeling species-dependent collisional fragmentation regions disks
teaching
Teaching Fellow, Harvardspring 2024
ASTRON 16: Stellar & Planetary Astronomy
Teaching Fellow, Harvardfall 2022
ASTRON 200: Radiative Processes in Astrophysics
Peer Research Mentor, UCSC2019
ASTR 9: Introduction to Research in Physics & Astronomy
community
Peer Mentor, Harvard Astronomy Graduate Student Peer Mentoring Program2025 – 2026
G3-G4 Representative, Harvard Astronomy Student-Faculty Council2023 – 2025
Co-organizer, Faculty and Graduate Student Lunches2023 – 2025
Co-organizer, Harvard Astronomy Graduate Student Peer Mentoring Program2023 – 2025
Harvard Astronomy Faculty Search Student Representative2024
Co-organizer, Harvard Astronomy Prospective Visit2023
Mentor, UCSC WiPA + SPS Mentoring Program2021 – 2023
Co-president, UCSC WiPA2019 – 2020
Outreach Coordinator, UCSC WiPA2018 – 2019
talks* & posters
A Dynamical Synthesis of Dynamical Systems* [invited]jan. 2026
MIT Mini Disk Symposium*aug. 2025
GRC Origins of Solar Systemsjun. 2025
CfA Exoplanet Pizza Lunch*feb. 2025
Exoplanets Vjun. 2024
MIT EAPS Planetary Lecture Series* [invited]apr. 2024
CfA SSP Science Bites*jan. 2024
Protostars & Planets VIIapr. 2023
GRS+GRC Origins of Solar Systemsjun. 2023
CfA Exoplanet Pizza Lunch*mar. 2023
Exoplanets IVmay 2022
237th AASjan. 2021
Caltech SFP Fall Seminar Day*aug. 2020
Extreme Solar Systems IVjan. 2019
APS Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics
233rd AAS
UCSC Summer Research Symposium2018
UCSC ASTR 9 Research Symposium