Thomas Nguyen
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Major & Minor
Major: Astronomy and Physics
Minor: Mathematics
Hometown
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
How’d you choose your major/minor?
My passion for STEM roots from reading encyclopedias since I was still in elementary school, and I find space science & physics most intriguing to me among them. I also find myself interested in research from reading Astronomy research papers while in high school, although I did not understand much at the time. During that time, I also got to learn about science with space telescopes like Hubble and JWST. These experiences are the biggest inspirations for me to declare my majors in Astro & Physics, and I find Math an fascinating and excellent complementary minor for them.
What’s your favorite spot on campus?
I usually find it comfortable sitting in Steward Observatory's Undergrad Lounge to zone out, relax, and talk to my friends. When it's time to lock in (e.g. doing research work, study, etc.), Parker Library on 3rd floor is always my go-to place.
What has been the highlight of your college career thus far?
My most memorable highlight so far would definitely be visiting so many dark sky places & observatories around Tucson area and beyond. It is where my biggest (and probably most expensive) hobby so far: astrophotography - taking photos of the night sky and objects in space, began. As a space lover from a metropolitan, a starry night sky had always been a privilege out of my reach, and I would value everytime I have under a pristine, unpolluted night sky. Most of the time, I would feel relaxed and serene, but I have also found myself going wild when spotting shooting stars, seeing the Milky Way, or when fascinating deep-sky objects pop out so vividly in images from my personal telescope.