Jay Motka
Major & Minor
Majors: Physics & Astronomy
Minor: Math
Hometown
Surendranagar, India
How’d you choose your major/minor?
At an early age, I have been an avid reader. I read a few philosophy books from my father's collection. My intrigue in understanding the universe around us started from these books. As I became more interested in these questions, I turned to the books on physics and my teachers who indulged my curiosity about the concepts of physics. It was in high school that I decided that I wished to pursue physics and astronomy as my majors to find answers to some of these questions that have yet to have answers. My career goal became pursuing research in physics and astronomy. It allows me to think of myself and the universe around us with a different and unique pair of glasses.
What’s your favorite spot on campus?
Steward Observatory: it has become a sort of home away from home. Whether it is hanging out with my friends in the undergraduate lounge or working on my studies and my research in Parker library, it is where I have spent most of my time as an undergraduate student. Furthermore, the history of scholarship and research makes it a place that is very close to my heart given my majors and work.
What has been the highlight of your college career thus far?
I got to work on building the survey strategy for Vera Rubin Observatory's Legacy Survey of Space & Time (LSST). It was my first research experience! The Vera C. Rubin Observatory is being built in Chile at the moment. It is the biggest ground-based survey of the southern hemisphere sky that has ever been done. When carried out successfully, the results will change very perception of cosmology and the universe as we know it. It is an exciting time for physics and astronomy, especially with telescopes like James Webb and observatories like Vera Rubin!