Outstanding Seniors in the College of Science: Jonah Lotz

This fall, the College of Science recognized ten outstanding seniors for their contributions in and out of the classroom. Jonah Lotz is this semester's recipient from Astronomy & Computer Science.

The College of Science caught up with Jonah to learn more about his experiences at the University of Arizona and what is on the horizon after graduation.

Why did you choose to study Astronomy?

A lot of media shows astronomers discovering their passion by looking through a telescope and seeing the wonders of the universe for the first time. For me, it wasn’t about taking a telescope out at midnight or seeing all the beautiful pictures NASA puts out, but rather the math behind it all. For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a deep fascination with numbers. Even simple problems in elementary school fascinated me and I would spend hours doing extra problems just for entertainment! I knew that I didn’t want to be a mathematician though; I wanted to apply math to tackle some of the universe’s biggest questions (Plus, I just despise proofs). And what field has bigger questions to answer than astronomy? You’re studying reality in nearly unfathomable scales and working to understand the very existence of everything. The visuals in astronomy are amazing, but the fact we can use numbers and math to quantify reality is exhilarating and what drew me to astronomy initially.

Tell us about a class or research project you really enjoyed.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed all of my astronomy classes and research, but my first research project under Dr. Catherine Grier holds a special place in my heart. We worked to analyze the variability of carbon IV broad absorption lines in a quasar found in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Reverberation Mapping Project (SDSS-RM). I was responsible for analyzing spectral data spanning 2014 to 2020, which consisted of approximately 90 spectra. I developed a preprocessing pipeline for the raw data that corrected for redshift and interstellar extinction. I then took these “correct” spectra and performed continuum fitting using a reddened power-law model to normalize the spectra effectively. This normalization allowed me to calculate key spectral features such as equivalent widths, mean broad absorption line (BAL) depths, and velocity centroids of the carbon IV lines for each of the approximately 90 spectra. Finally, I generated visualizations to track the temporal variations of these features from 2014 to 2020.

While I am thrilled that this work was eventually incorporated by Dr. Grier and her new research team at the University of Wisconsin into a published paper, it is special to me for different reasons entirely. The code I wrote was initially intended to be applied to all quasars in SDSS-RM, however, I started with a singular quasar to ensure we could get all of the logic down first. It turned out that this random quasar was actually quite special. In analyzing the carbon IV trough over the 2014 to 2020 period, I discovered that the trough was shifting to higher velocities over time. This is an extremely rare occurrence that has only been identified a handful of times, and the fact I (for all intents and purposes) accidentally stumbled on it is beautiful to me. I still remember when I first showed the plots illustrating the shift to Dr. Grier and us both being exhilarated at the finding. The focus of the eventual paper was entirely on this quasar and it still makes me smile that so much came about from pure chance of the quasar I started with. I think nothing describes astronomy better - finding the most amazing discoveries in the most unexpected places.

What is one specific memory from your time at UA that you’ll cherish forever?

While I haven’t been able to attend them recently because of my schedule, I very much cherish Don’s observation nights that I went to during my freshman and sophomore years. Don was always a pleasure to chat with, the telescopes allowed for such magnificent views, and the pizza was delicious; But most importantly, I made many of my closest friends. My first semester was right after COVID hit so everything was online. I had traveled across the country and knew no one, and making new friends was nearly impossible over Zoom. I decided to attend an observation night as it got me out of my dorm room and would allow me to meet some people in person for once. Naturally, I was extremely nervous and barely talked to anyone. Thankfully, I had several people approach me and start conversations. They were all so kind and I knew the second we started talking that they’d be amazing friends. I won’t name any of them, but I still talk to them regularly and consider them among my closest friends. I am so thankful that I decided to go to those observation nights and that those individuals came up to me. I don’t think I would’ve made it through astronomy without all of them.

What are you most proud of having accomplished in your time at UA?

What I’m most proud of is how much I’ve grown in my time here. I mean this in every sense of the word - professionally, academically - but above all, personally. When I came here, I was thousands of miles from home in a completely different environment. I was extremely shy, nervous, and honestly not sure how I would get through the next 4 years. However, looking back as I near graduation, I realize that every challenge I faced – from navigating a new culture to pushing myself in difficult courses – has shaped me into someone who is not only capable but excited about tackling what comes next. I’ve learned to trust my instincts, embrace failure as part of the process, and stay curious about everything around me. I feel more confident, not just in the skills lectures teach, but in myself. I know I can do anything I set my mind to, and I’m extremely proud of being able to say that for myself. Of course, I can not attribute entirely this to myself. From research advisors, professors, friends, and even classmates, I’ve been surrounded by amazing people these past 4 years who have done more than I can ever describe to help me grow and succeed.

What is next for you after graduating?

I am currently a Data Engineering Intern at Madden Media and will be continuing with them full-time as a Data Optimization Specialist starting in January. I’ve had an amazing time working there throughout my summer and fall internships, and I’m thrilled I can stay post-graduation. While it’s certainly not astronomy-related, I am extremely passionate about our work and love any opportunity to write programs and work with data on a daily basis.