• Brooke Owens Fellow, Class of 2023

• The Ohio State University, Astrophysics, ‘23

• Host Institution: CSIS

• Mentor: Aschley Schiller

• Brookie Mentor: TBD

Caitlin O'Brien is a fourth-year undergraduate at The Ohio State University (OSU) majoring in Astrophysics and Astronomy with a double major in Physics. She is pursuing a minor in Science and Engineering in the Public Interest, intending to combine her love for space with her interest in public policy. Caitlin serves as the Assistant Director of SciAccess, Inc., an international nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing disability inclusion in STEM. She acts as the Commercial Space Liaison for Mission: AstroAccess, applying universal design principles to space architecture toward the future of human space exploration.

Her love for the stars began with her father, who brought her on stargazing trips and introduced her to Carl Sagan's Cosmos, instilling a deep appreciation for the night sky. As a college student, she sought to immerse herself in space inside and outside the classroom. She began giving planetarium shows at the Arne Slettebak Planetarium, sparking her love for outreach. She became president of her university's Astronomical Society by the end of her freshman year, providing an academic and social connection between undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty within the astronomy department.

In 2020, she met Anna Voelker, Brooke Owens Fellow Class of 2018, who introduced her to their mission of promoting accessibility in STEM. Together, they founded the SciAccess Zenith Mentorship Program, working with blind and low-vision high school students interested in space science from around the world. Caitlin helped run the SciAccess 2020 conference and served as Deputy Director for the SciAccess 2021 conference. She has co-authored several publications and traveled worldwide speaking at conferences about best practices for accessible science communication. In 2021, she was nominated for the American Astronautical Society Molly K. Macauley Award, recognizing her space policy proposal advocating for the inclusion of a Deaf person as part of NASA's astronaut corps.

During her summers as an undergraduate, Caitlin has served as an astrophysical research assistant outside of Ohio State. In 2021, she studied massive star clusters using Hubble Space Telescope and Magellan-Clay Telescope data at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. In 2022, she worked with the University of Florida to study galaxy clusters using the IllustrisTNG magnetohydrodynamical simulation. She has presented her research at the American Astronomical Society and intends to continue studying theoretical or observational cosmology in graduate school.

At Ohio State, Caitlin competes on the Collegiate DanceSport team in rhythm and Latin ballroom dance. She is also an avid photographer, musician, and theater technician. She is currently applying to graduate school, intending to pursue a Ph.D. in astrophysics while continuing her work to improve accessibility in STEM.

Caitlin will be working with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) as a space policy intern for the summer of 2023.