JENNY LARSON, PhD

jenny.larson@wasatchacademy.org
435-462-1400

EDUCATION

BS in Physics and Mathematics, Minor in Spanish, Purdue University

PhD in Physics, University of Central Florida

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Jenny grew up in Madison, Wisconsin before attending Purdue University. Since her freshman year at Purdue, she has been a part of the planetary science community researching computational models to better understand how solar systems are formed. She spent a year after Purdue working in a tornado climatology lab where she went on to prove the recent eastward shift of Tornado Alley. At the University of Central Florida, she developed a new method for modeling impact debris on airless bodies. During this time, she also used her model to help make predictions for NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), a mission designed to test methods of planetary defense and asteroid deflection. Currently, Jenny teaches astronomy, coaches cross country, and continues her research on asteroid impacts as an affiliate of the SETI Institute.

Outside of science, Jenny enjoys long distance running, playing D&D with her friends, and designing cosplays. Most of all, she loves spending time with her cat and dog, Renae and Atlas.