May 06, 2026
Dr. Kite, Brandon Coy, and the team used the telescope to focus on a planet known as Kuaꞌkua, or LHS 3844 b by its formal scientific name, which is 48 light-years away from Earth, meaning it would take 48 years to travel there even at the speed of light. Kua’kua is about twice the mass of Earth, but is much closer to its sun and zips around it faster—its “year,” the time it takes to complete a full trip around its host star, is the equivalent of 0.5 Earth days.
April 22, 2026
A project led by Associate Prof. Pedram Hassanzadeh and Nobel laureate Michael Kremer was selected as the inaugural winner of the ambitious research competition.
April 16, 2026
She was awarded the fellowship in recognition of her groundbreaking research in ocean biogeochemistry.