Active Group Members
associate professor
I joined the Department of Physics at High Point University in 2013 and thoroughly enjoy working with our students and my colleagues. I am proud of what our small-but-mighty department has accomplished over the past eight years. I did my undergraduate studies at Mississippi State University, my graduate studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and my postdoc work at Penn State University. Aside from research, teaching, and outreach, I enjoy playing the piano, writing music, running, and hanging out with my wife Jenn and daughters Clare (4 yr) and Josie (1.5 yr).
Steven DIFILIPPO
first-year physics major
Steven is currently working with Dr. Barlow and Teagan Graham on a project to quantify how well the famous fabric of spacetime demo matches observations of binary orbits and gravitational wave emission.
Gabriana DEL VECCHIO
senior international business major
Hello! I'm Gabi Del Vecchio, a third-year student at High Point University. Despite being an international business major minoring in French, I've always had a fascination with space. After becoming an astronomy supplemental instructor for Dr. Barlow and Professor Regester in the beginning of my sophomore year, I was then recruited by Dr. Titus to also minor in physics. I am incredibly excited to start conducting research with Dr. Barlow as I expand my knowledge of the universe! Also being a university ambassador, I'm very active on campus. When I have free time, traveling, reading, baking, and singing are some of my favorite things to do!
Teagan GRAHAM
junior physics major
Teagan is a 3rd year Physics major with a minor in Mathematics. He is a member of SPS, Captain of the Ultimate Frisbee Club, and a member of the Leadership Fellows. He is currently working with Dr. Barlow and Steven Difilippo to quantify how accurately the fabric of spacetime demo matches real planetary orbits, binary orbits, and gravitational wave emissions. He has always had a fascination with magnets and hopes to use his knowledge of physics to pursue the application of magnets to various fields.
Bennett KIRBY
second-year physics major
Hello! My name is Bennett Kirby, and I am a second-year physics major. On campus, I am an Honors Scholar, a member of SPS, a club tennis participant, and on the rocketry team soon. I have hopes to continue learning and earning a Doctorate in astrophysics in the future and get a better understanding of the wild universe we live in.
Bowie LAUGHREY
junior physics major
Hello! I’m Bowie Laughrey. I’m a junior physics major with hopes of branching out into Astrophysics. I graduated high school with an Associate’s degree, and would be classified as a junior if I were not an Honors Scholar. I have been interested in the universe and the science that comes with it for as long as I can remember, and have finally been given the opportunity to dive in. As far as hobbies go, I am a violinist, composer, songwriter, and digital artist."
Fabian MATTIG
grad student intern
Fabian is a graduate student at the University of Potsdam studying hot subdwarf stars with Stephan Geier. He is spending six months in the U.S. working with Dr. Barlow on radial velocity studies of compact binaries. As a side project, he is also helping Bennet Kirby study the pulsations of BPM 36430.
Bryce SMITH
physics & math alumnus ('23)
Bryce graduated from HPU in December 2023 with a B.S. in physics and B.A. in mathematics. During his time as an undergraduate, he published a first-author paper in ApJ, gave talks at several national and international conferences, and went on an observing run to Chile. In August he will start a PhD program in physics or astronomy/astrophysics. In his free time, he enjoys just about anything from working on cars to skiing extreme terrain.
Recent Group Members
Will FRONDORF
senior physics major
Howdy! I’m Will Frondorf. Originally from Cincinnati, I have been working alongside Dr. Barlow and the High Point University physics department since my freshman year. I’m passionate about learning all there is about astronomy and hope to one day soon be working professionally in the field. In addition to working for Dr. Barlow on his various grants and research projects, I have also taken up many opportunities to be involved with astronomy outreach events, such as HPUniverse Day and the LASeR program. In my free time, I enjoy reading novels (typically sci-fi and dystopian ones) and playing video games (typically strategy and puzzle ones).
Jazzmyn HOLDEN
second-year physics major
I grew up in Minneapolis, MN. I currently am a second year at High Point University and I am majoring in Physics, but focusing on Astro Physics. I have been involved in Dr. Barlow’s Research group since I came to High Point. I am also involved in the Natural Sciences Fellowship. I hope to continue my education past a Bachelors degree and receive a Masters.
Isaac LOPEZ
NSF research assistant
I am interested in the observational study of the end stages of stellar evolution. Lately I have been using Gaia and TESS to explore rare classes of compact objects, such as pulsating ELM white dwarfs. I am happy to be apart of the astrophysics group here at HPU and expanding my research experience to the hot subdwarf class of stars. In general, I enjoy learning about and exploring this seemingly impossible place we find ourselves in.
Mark MUCHANE
senior @ NC School of Science & Math
Hi! My name is Mark Muchane, and I’m a high school student at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in Durham. I’m interested in machine learning and coding, particularly computational astrophysics/astronomy. I’m excited to be doing research into hot subdwarf binaries. My hobbies include playing cello and reading about sociology, law, and political economy.
Jack MUNN
senior physics major
My name is Jack Munn and I am a physics major from Asheville, NC. Post graduation I plan to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering and work in the automotive industry. My previous work experience includes an engineering internship at FinishLine Motorworks, one of the top vehicle restoration and modification shops. Outside of my responsibilities I love to be outdoors whether it be backpacking, tennis or anything in between. When the outdoors aren’t an option I enjoy playing guitar or tinkering on my car.
Isa PARKER
senior physics major, math & CS minors
Hello! I’m Isa Parker. I’m from Burlington, NC, and I’ve been doing research with Dr. Barlow since my freshman year. I hope to one day take the skills and experience I have gathered into a career in the astronomy/astrophysics field. My main work with Dr. Barlow has been on the TESS Cycle 2 and Cycle 3 grants. I play bass guitar, competitive Pokémon, and enjoy a wide variety of music genres (mainly jazz and rock).
Caden SANCHEZ
senior physics & philosophy major
Basketball and education are my passions. I grew up in Columbus, Ohio and have played all my life and have equally been involved in furthering my education. I currently play basketball at High Point University and am also a double major in both physics and philosophy. After graduating I plan to further my education even more by attending graduate school for physics.
David VESTAL
senior physics major
Hello, I'm David, and I have studied physics and mathematics at High Point University. I have held a strong interest in astronomy from a young age and am excited to be working with Dr. Barlow and my friends on the TESS Cycle 2 and 3 projects. While I have pursued research in astronomy, I have also worked on projects related to the rocketry team at High Point University, specifically with work related to solid rocket motors at an amateur scale. I hope to go to graduate school and end up working in the aerospace industry. I participate in hobby rocketry, and of course, I play a lot of Kerbal Space Program.
Former Group Members
Colin McCarrie (junior at HPU)
Holden Harrington (senior at HPU)
Zach Straumins (senior at HPU)
John Aube (EE student Notre Dame)
Sam Mycroft ('21; software engineer at SpaceX)
Stephen Walser ('20; grad student at Virginia Tech)
Nathan Grinalds ('20; grad student at U. Florida)
Emily Boudreaux ('19; grad student at Dartmouth C.)
Kyle Corcoran ('19; grad
student at U. Virginia)
Paddy Clancy ('19; Northrop Grumman)
Joseph Godoy ('19; grad student at App State)
Zack Hutchens ('18; grad
student at UNC-CH)
Rebecca Lewis (student at University of West Florida)
Alan Vasquez Soto ('18; grad student at UNC-CH)
Ryan Hegedus ('17; grad student at UNC-CH)
Eugene Filik ('17; Returned Peace Corps Volunteer)
Rodrigo Catalan-Hurtado ('16; grad student at Clemson)
Stephen Vultaggio ('15; Mass. General Hospital)
Primary Collaborators
Stéphane Charpinet (Obs. Midi-Pyrenées, France)
Kyle Corcoran (U. Virginia, U.S.)
Stephan Geier (U. Potsdam, Germany)
Petr Harmanec (Charles U., Czech Republic)
Uli Heber (Dr. Remeis Sternwarte, Germany)
JJ Hermes (Boston U., U.S.)
Dave Kilkenny (U. Western Cape, South Africa)
Thomas Kupfer (Texas Tech, U.S.)
Nick Law (UNC-CH, U.S.)
Peter Nemeth (Czech Academy of Sciences)
Ingrid Pelisoli (U. Warwick, England)
Jeff Ratzloff (UNC-CH, U.S.)
Veronika Schaffenroth (U. Postdam, Germany)
David Schneider (Dr. Remeis Sternwarte, Germany)
My Former Advisers
Richard Wade (PSU) - Postdoc adviser
Chris Clemens (UNC) - PhD adviser
John Lestrade (MSU) - undergraduate adviser
Mr. Powell (St. Martin High School) - high school physics/astronomy/zoology teacher