February 20, 2025
Stellar discovery
Student studies the stars, earns scholarshipby Rita Savard
After analyzing thousands of stars, Valencia Zhang ’25 is helping to redefine stellar astrophysics.
The senior with a passion for astronomy uncovered the first-ever triaxial pulsator, a star that pulsates about three different, perpendicular axes. While most stars’ pulsations can only be observed through their frequency, tidally tilted pulsators, a novel class of stars in binary systems, allow for the observation of pulsations from all angles. Zhang’s groundbreaking discovery challenges existing definitions in the field of stellar pulsations and provides new insights into the types of axes stars can pulsate about.
Zhang’s project in the field of asteroseismology earned her a $10,000 Davidson Fellows Scholarship, an award given to students aged 18 or younger who have completed significant projects that have the potential to benefit society in the fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, literature, and music.
Being named a Davidson Fellow is a dream come true. It not only recognizes my passion for astronomy but also offers me the opportunity to interact with a community of individuals equally driven to make a difference in the world.
”“When I started my research, I did not have a strong intuition for the types of features to look for and often chose sources for the wrong reasons,” Zhang said. “However, through many failed attempts and conversations with my mentors, I built a strong intuition and the motivation to persevere through setbacks.”
The 2024 Davidson scholarship recipients were honored last September at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. Davidson Institute founder Bob Davidson said that the fellows “continue to push the boundaries of educational and research pursuits, striving to solve some of the world’s most challenging problems by leveraging creative, outside-the-box thinking.”
Zhang plans to study both astronomy and physics in college.
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