Why did you choose to come to the Center for Astrophysics (CfA)?

I first came just for a 6-month visit, at the beginning of my thesis, and, being here, I knew about the SAO Predoc Fellowship. My experience here was so good that I decided to apply for it.

What have you learned from other members of the research community at the Center for Astrophysics?

One of the things I've learned here is how important it is to establish strong collaborations with people who do similar research, no matter where they are. I still keep contact with my previous collaborators in South America, plus all the new people I've been able to know working here.

What advantages has the SAO Predoctoral Program offered you in terms of your particular research studies and career?

A big advantage is the number of researchers who work here in the same field as I do. Group meetings are very important to show your work and you get a lot of feedback from the people. The access to facilities is also very good, so data gathering has not been a problem.

What is a typical day like for you?

A typical working day starts with reading the email to see if there is anything urgent to care about, and to check if there is any interesting meeting during the day. Then I check the new publications summary of the day. I work until lunch, when I go out with my office mates, and, in the afternoon, I continue working. If there is an interesting talk I would go too. The time when I leave depends on how much work I have, but some times I need to stay all night to observe remotely in Arizona (not very often!).

Are there many opportunities to interact with other graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and scientists in your field?

Yes there are. Besides group meetings, you can meet lots of people before colloquiums and talks. The CfA also has some nonacademic activities, which are very good opportunities to meet new people.

What's been the evolution of the research that you've been interested in since you arrived?

I've learned to work with a new set of data, instruments, and software, so at the beginning it was a little slow to get results, but now I feel more comfortable. Group meetings are always very important to learn about new ideas and get feedback on what I'm doing. I think the time I've spent here I've learned many new interesting things.

How would you describe the atmosphere at the CfA?

So far I've enjoyed working at CfA. Generally, people are friendly, very interested in what they do, and, in some cases, in what I do too!

In general how would you characterize the social life at the CfA, and is it what you expected?

Social life is OK. I've made many friends, most of them also predocs, but also some postdocs and Harvard students. As I said before, most of the people here are very friendly.

What about outside of the CfA, do you live far from here?

The Boston area is a nice place to live as it has many things to do and places to visit throughout the whole the year. I live in Somerville, not too far from CfA and it takes me 10 minutes biking from door to door.

Have you expanded your knowledge of related fields through seminars and conferences?

Yes I have, and also through the colloquiums and all the conference posters distributed in the corridors.

Is your experience so far what you were expecting, and what things are different?

My experience has been very good, better than what I was expecting. I thought it was going to be harder to get along with the people or to find a place to live, but, in the end, things went ok.

Would you recommend the SAO Predoctoral Program to other graduate students in your field?

Yes I would, it's a very good chance to expand your knowledge, and to meet interesting people.