Below is a short version of my C.V. The compete version can be downloaded through the button above.
Vivienne F. Baldassare
Personal Data
Washington State University
Department of Physics and Astronomy
Webster Hall
Pullman, WA 99163
Email: vivienne.baldassare@wsu.edu
Website: viviennebaldassare.com
Employment
August 2020 - present, William Band Distinguished Assistant Professor of Physics, Washington State University
September 2017 - August 2020, Einstein Postdoctoral Fellow, Yale University
Advisor: Marla Geha
Education
August 2017, PhD in Astronomy, University of Michigan
Thesis: “Properties of active galactic nuclei in dwarf galaxies ” | Advisor: Elena Gallo
June 2012, BA in Honors Physics, Hunter College
Thesis: "De-reddening the infrared spectra of L dwarfs” | Advisor: Kelle Cruz
Awards, Fellowships, and Grants
2017-2020, NASA Einstein Fellowship
2018, Chandra Cycle 20 (ID GO9-20102X, PI, 91ks)
2017, NSF Astronomy & Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowship (declined)
2017, AAS Rodger Doxsey Travel Prize
2016 - 2017, Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship, University of Michigan
2016, Hubble Space Telescope Cycle 23 (ID HST-GO-14187.001-A)
2013-2016, Rackham Conference Travel Grants (3)
2013; 2016, Rackham Research Grants (2)
2012-2015, National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship
2012, Joseph A. Gillet Award in Physics, Hunter College
2011-2012, John P. McNulty Scholar, Hunter College
2011, Avon-Tukman Award for Undergraduate Research, Hunter College
2008-2012, Full merit scholarship, Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College
Publications
First-author publications
9. Massive black hole formation in dense stellar environments: Enhanced X-ray detection rates in high velocity dispersion nuclear star clusters
Baldassare, Vivienne F.; Stone, Nicholas C.; Foord, Adi; Gallo, Elena; Ostriker, Jeremiah P. 2022, Astrophysical Journal, 929, 84.
8. Populating the low-mass end of the M-sigma relation
Baldassare, Vivienne F.; Dickey, Claire, Geha, Marla; Reines, Amy. 2020, Astrophysical Journal Letters, 989, 1.
7. A search for optical AGN variability in 35,000 low-mass galaxies with the Palomar Transient Factory
Baldassare, Vivienne F.; Geha, Marla; Greene, Jenny, E. 2020, Astrophysical Journal, 896, 10.
6. Identifying AGNs in low-mass galaxies via long-term optical variability
Baldassare, Vivienne F.; Geha, Marla; Greene, Jenny, E. 2018, Astrophysical Journal, 868, 152.
5. Hubble Space Telescope imaging of the active dwarf galaxy RGG 118
Baldassare, Vivienne F.; Reines, Amy E.; Gallo, Elena; Greene, Jenny, E. 2017, Astrophysical Journal, 850, 196.
4. X-ray and Ultraviolet properties of AGN in nearby dwarf galaxies
Baldassare, Vivienne F.; Reines, Amy E.; Gallo, Elena; Greene, Jenny, E. 2017, Astrophysical Journal, 836, 20.
3. Multi-epoch spectroscopy of dwarf galaxies with AGN signatures: identifying sources with persistent broad H-alpha
Baldassare, Vivienne F.; Reines, Amy E.; Gallo, Elena; Greene, Jenny E.; Graur, Or; Geha, Marla; Hainline, Kevin; Carroll, Christopher M.; Hickox, Ryan C. 2016, Astrophysical Journal, 829, 1.
2. A ~50,000 solar mass black hole in the nucleus of RGG 118
Baldassare, Vivienne F.; Reines, Amy E.; Gallo, Elena; Greene, Jenny, E. 2015, Astrophysical Journal Letters, 809, L14.
1. AMUSE-Field II: Nucleation fraction in field vs. cluster environment
Baldassare, Vivienne F.; Gallo, Elena; Miller, Brendan P.; Plotkin, Richard M.; Treu, Tommaso; Valluri, Monica; Woo, Jong-Hak, 2014, Astrophysical Journal, 791, 133.
Co-authored publications
15. Active galactic nuclei in two star-forming dwarf galaxies with persistent broad lines
Kehoe, E.; Baldassare, V. F.; Geha, M.; Wasleske, E.; Reines, A. E.; Hainline, K. 2022. Submitted to the Astrophysical Journal.
14. Variable AGN in the GALEX Time Domain Survey
Wasleske, E.; Baldassare, V. F.; Carroll, C. M. 2022. Astrophysical Journal, 933, 37.
13. A Sample of Massive Black Holes in Dwarf Galaxies Detected via [Fe X] Coronal Line Emission: Active Galactic Nuclei and/or Tidal Disruption Events
Molina, M.; Reines, A. E.; Latimer, C. J.; Baldassare, V.F.; Salehirad, S. 2021. Astrophysical Journal, 922, 155.
12. The Young Supernova Experiment: Survey Goals, Overview, and Operations
Jones, D. O.; Foley, R. J.; Narayan, G.; Hjorth, J.; Huber, M. E.; Aleo, P. D.; Alexander, K. D.; Angus, C. R.; Auchettl, K.; Baldassare, V. F.; et al. 2021. Astrophysical Journal, 908, 143.
11. Quasars that have transitioned from radio-quiet to radio-loud on decadal timescales revealed by VLASS and FIRST.
Nyland, K.; Dong, D. Z.; Patil, P.; Lacy, M.; van Velzen, S.; Kimball, A. E.; Sarbadhicary, S. K.; Hallinan, G.; Baldassare, V. F.; et al. 2020. Astrophysical Journal, 905, 74.
10. Nuclear X-ray Activity in Low-Surface Brightness Galaxies: Prospects for Constraining the Local Black Hole Occupation Fraction with a Chandra Successor Mission
Hodges-Kluck, E.; Gallo, E.; Seth, A.; Greene, J.; Baldassare, V. F.. 2020, Astrophysical Journal, 989, 2.
9. The Curious Case of PHL 293B: A Long-Lived Transient in a Metal-Poor Blue Compact Dwarf Galaxy
Burke, C. J.; Baldassare, V. F.; Liu, X.; Foley, R. J.; Shen, Y.; Palmese, A.; Guo, H.; and the DES Collaboration. 2020, Astrophysical Journal Letters, 894, 1.
8. The Seoul National University AGN monitoring project. II. BLR size and black hole mass of two AGNs
Rakshit, S.; Woo, J.; Gallo, E.; Hodges-Kluck, E.; Shin, J.; Jeon, Y.; Bae, H.; Baldassare, Vivienne F. + 15 co-authors. 2019, accepted to the Astrophysical Journal.
7. Sub-Eddington supermassive black hole activity in Fornax early type galaxies
Lee, Nathan; Gallo, Elena; Hodges-Kluck, Edmund; Cote, Patrick; Ferrarese, Laura; Miller, Brendan P.; Baldassare, Vivienne F.; Plotkin, Richard; Treu, Tommaso. 2019, Astrophysical Journal, 874, 77.
6. AGN activity in nucleated galaxies as measured by Chandra
Foord, Adi; Gallo, Elena; Hodges-Kluck, Edmund; Miller, Brendan P.; Baldassare, Vivienne F.; Gnedin, Oleg. 2017, Astrophysical Journal, 841, 51.
5. Exploring the role of sub-micron sized dust grains in the atmospheres of red L0-L6 dwarfs
Hiranaka, Kay; Cruz, Kelle L.; Marley, Mark S.; Douglas, Stephanie T.; Baldassare, Vivienne F. 2016, ApJ, 830, 96.
4. Population properties of brown dwarf analogs to exoplanets
Faherty, Jaqueline K.; + 9 co-authors; Baldassare, Vivienne F.; Lemonier, Emily; Rice, Emily L. 2016, ApJS, 225, 10.
3. X-ray constraints on the local supermassive black hole occupation fraction
Miller, Brendan P.; Gallo, Elena; Greene, Jenny E.; Kelly, Brandon C.; Treu, Tommaso; Woo, Jong-Hak; Baldassare, Vivienne F., 2015, ApJ, 799, 98.
2. An Environmental Study of the Ultraluminous X-Ray Source Population in Early-type Galaxies
Plotkin, Richard M.; Gallo, Elena; Miller, Brendan P.; Baldassare, Vivienne F.; Treu, Tommaso; Woo, Jong-Hak, 2014, ApJ, 780, 6.
1. A Multiwavelength Study of a Sample of 70 μm Selected Galaxies in the COSMOS Field. II. The Role of Mergers in Galaxy Evolution
Kartaltepe, Jeyhan S.; + 26 co-authors + Baldassare, V. F.; Fiorenza, S. L., 2010, ApJ, 721, 98.
Successful P.I. Observing Proposals
- Chandra X-ray Observatory, Cycle 22, 204.6 ks (joint w/ 9 orbits HST)
P.I. V. F. Baldassare, M. Geha, J. Greene
"A Chandra look at variability-selected low-mass AGN candidates”
- Gemini, Gemini North, Director’s Time 2019B
P.I. V. F. Baldassare, C. Burke
"Investigating the nature of broad Balmer emission in the blue compact dwarf galaxy PHL 293B”
- Keck, Keck II (ESI), 2019B, 2 nights
P.I. V. F. Baldassare, M. Geha
"High spatial resolution spectroscopy of low-mass variability selected AGNs”
- Very Large Array, 2019A, 4.25 hours
P.I. V. F. Baldassare, M. Geha, J. Greene, A. Reines
"Searching for radio emission in variability-selected AGN in low-mass galaxies”
-Keck, Keck II (ESI), 2019A, 1 night
P.I. V. F. Baldassare, C. Dickey, M. Geha
"The role of AGN feedback in quenching dwarf galaxies”
- Keck, Keck II (NIRES), 2019A, 1 night
P.I. V. F. Baldassare, S. Satyapal, J. Cann, N. Secrest
"NIR coronal line ratios as a mass estimator for intermediate- mass black holes”
- Palomar, 200-inch, 2019A, 6 nights
P.I. V. F. Baldassare and C. Bailyn
"Long term optical variability of low-mass AGN"
- Chandra X-ray Observatory, Cycle 20, 91ks
P.I. V. F. Baldassare, E. Gallo, N. Stone, J. Ostriker, A. Foord
"Runaway tidal capture in nuclear star clusters as a formation pathway for massive black holes”
- Palomar, 200-inch, 2018B, 3 nights
P.I. V. F. Baldassare, M. Geha, J. Greene
"Follow-up spectroscopy of variable AGN candidates in low-mass galaxies"
- Keck, Keck II, 2018A, 1 night
P.I. V. F. Baldassare, M. Geha, A. Reines
"The low-mass end of the M-sigma relation”
- Gemini, Gemini North, 2016B, 4 hours
P.I. V. F. Baldassare, E. Gallo, A. Reines, J. Greene, M. Geha
"Optical spectroscopy of dwarf galaxies with active galactic nuclei”
- Magellan, 6.5m Baade Telescope, 2016A, 3 nights
P.I. V. F. Baldassare, E. Gallo, A. Reines, J. Greene, M. Geha
“Optical spectroscopy of dwarf galaxies with candidate active galactic nuclei”
- Hubble Space Telescope, Cycle 23, 3 orbits with WFC3
P.I. V. F. Baldassare, A. Reines, E. Gallo, J. Greene
“Studying the nuclear morphology of a dwarf galaxy with a 50,000 solar mass black hole”