I’ve just wrapped up a fantastic and impactful research experience with Wolfram (WSS25), where I had the opportunity to work closely with researchers on a project at the intersection of computational modeling, sustainability, and geospatial analysis, all topics that genuinely resonate with me.
Working alongside my mentor Philéas Dazeley Gaist, we developed a suite of tools in Wolfram Language to simulate solar shadows and trace celestial paths over space and time. The goal was to better understand how sunlight interacts with the built environment across different locations and times of year. We created two core functions: sunShadowPlot, which visualizes sun-cast shadows on 3D surfaces, and skyPathPlot, which maps the historical and future paths of celestial bodies. These tools were built using AstroPosition, Graphics3D, and ray casting techniques, with potential applications in solar site assessment, daylight modeling, and photovoltaic system design.
I’m incredibly grateful to Philéas for being such a patient and dedicated mentor, guiding me from the very first line of code to the final presentation. Whether it was brainstorming the initial idea or helping implement some of the most technically challenging aspects, their support made a huge difference, and I learned a lot through the process.
I would also like to thank Christopher Wolfram and John McNally for their thoughtful feedback, guidance, and encouragement, both technical and beyond. One of the highlights was getting to play some guitar with Christopher. Not something I expected in a research setting, but it made the experience even more memorable.
And finally, a big thank you to Stephen Wolfram, not just for suggesting the project, but also for taking the time to advise me directly and support the work throughout.
If you're interested, here’s a link to our final project:
https://lnkd.in/e4agFiyH
Excited to carry this experience forward as I keep working toward building cleaner, more equitable energy systems through sustainable technology and design.
#Sustainability #CleanEnergy #WolframResearch #GeospatialAnalysis #RenewableEnergy