Name, degree(s), graduation year(s), current work/position, location

My name is Audrey Zinn. I graduated from The Ohio State University in May 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Astronomy and Astrophysics. I currently work as a scientific data analyst for the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in Socorro, N.M. 

How did your time at Ohio State prepare you for your current career path?

I think people have this view of astronomy where they think we look into a telescope and stare out into space as our main vehicle for discovery. However, at its core, astronomy is data analysis. So, my classes directly prepared me to become a professional data analyst. One of the most important classes in my major was Astronomy 3350, Observational Data Analysis. We worked on Jupyter notebooks which allowed us to interactively code in Python and visualize astronomical data. It was especially helpful because we learned how to make the same plots we saw in our textbooks, and that solidified how to read and interpret those plots in other classes or, in my case, my job. The main part of my job is to look at plots for every observation on the VLA and make note of specific hardware issues or environmental effects that show up in the data. I was able to learn how to do this so quickly because I only had to apply the skills I already knew from my classes to a new type of data.

How did college change you?

When I got to college, I had no clue who I was or what I wanted to do with my life. I still don’t really know the answer to either of those questions, but I am far more comfortable with finding out now than I was then. College made me comfortable with not knowing what would come next. It made me comfortable with adapting to situations as they come up. I spent 3 ½ years thinking I wanted to become a professor and preparing myself to apply for graduate school. It was during the application process that I realized that it was not for me. I had not once thought of anything else I could do, so at first, I panicked (oh did I panic). But then, I realized how unrealistic it was to expect a 22-year-old to know exactly what she wanted to do with her life. With the help of my support system, I took a deep breath and realized that my world was not ending and that I would figure it out. And I did. I don’t know if I have found my forever job, but I know that if I decided to change jobs, or if I decide I want to change fields, I will be ok. I have a wonderful support system at Ohio State, and I know I get all the support I need to do whatever I want to pursue. That is the biggest difference between me post-college and me pre-college. 

What is your favorite memory or experience from your time at Ohio State that stands out to you?

My favorite experience at Ohio State was getting to live with my friends. For two years, I lived in a house on Northwood Ave. The house itself was old, but the memories I made on that street were something I will always cherish. I lived with 6 of my best friends, and I loved being able to see them whenever I wanted. Coming home after a long day of classes to some of them sitting in our living room crocheting while watching TV made it feel like home. Sometimes on Sunday mornings, I would make cinnamon rolls for the house for what I called “Cinnamon Roll Sunday.” If it rained, we were on our porch working or reading. Running into any of them on campus made me so happy because it was seeing a piece of my home on campus. Many times, we stayed up later than anticipated talking about anything going on in our lives. College was hard, but I had 6 amazing women who always had my back supporting me in everything I did. The friendships I made at Ohio State defined my experience there and became some of the most precious memories I have. I learned the meaning of “How firm thy friendship” and I hope every Ohio State student gets to experience the same. 

What advice would you offer to current and/or future students in your department?

The biggest piece of advice I can give to astronomy students at Ohio State is to not decide what the rest of your life needs to look like while you are in school. Please, learn to live outside of astronomy. Get a job that isn’t in the department, join and go to clubs, go out on weekends and just have fun. When summer comes around and you have to do something, don’t confine yourself to only searching for research positions. Work as a star guide in a national park, work at a summer camp, get an internship doing data analytics or software engineering. Try different things.

What kinds of support did you receive from Ohio State, the College of Arts and Sciences, or your department? In what ways did that support make a difference to your academic career or your life after graduation?

The most support I received from my department was from my academic advisor, David Zach. I never got confused about what classes I needed to take to graduate. He was so helpful in deciding when I should take certain classes and how to find research positions. He proofread applications for me and helped me find career coaching in the College of Arts and Sciences. He was also someone that was really nice to talk to. There were points in my college career where I was scheduling weekly appointments with him so that I could have a deadline for myself on applications for internships. He was a big part of my support system at Ohio State and always made me confident in my academic progress throughout my major.