Camille Cioffe didn’t expect to fall in love with stars, at least not in the way she has now. A sophomore majoring in astronomy and physics, she spends her time studying some of the most powerful forces in the universe: massive stars. Her research focuses on how these stars lose mass over time, and how that mass loss changes everything about them, how they live, how they evolve, and ultimately, how they die. Whether they end as dramatic supernovae or something else entirely, Camille is driven to understand the journey that gets them there.
What surprised her most along the way wasn’t just how intense and high-energy these objects are, but how complicated they are. “There’s just so much going on inside them,” she says. “They’re way more complex than you’d expect, and every little factor can change the whole story of how they end.” That complexity has pulled her in—and made her realize she wants to keep studying them long after this project ends.
But what made this experience especially meaningful wasn’t just the science. It was the mentorship. Working closely with Dr. Carl Fields, a new faculty member, gave her the chance to learn in a more personal, one-on-one setting. “Since he’s still building his research group, I’ve had so much individual time with him,” Camille shares. “It’s been really valuable—not just for learning the science, but for feeling supported and seen as a young researcher.”
Through this experience, Camille hasn’t just grown as a scientist, she’s found her spark. And now, she’s more excited than ever to keep exploring the stars and chasing the questions that light up her curiosity.
