Noah Wolfe, a senior in physics and mathematics, has been selected as part of the 2021-22 class of Astronaut Scholars.
Astronaut Scholarships are awarded to college juniors and seniors studying science, technology, engineering or mathematics who intend to pursue research or advance their field upon completion of their final degree. Wolfe is among 60 students from 44 universities across the nation to be awarded the scholarship.
This year’s class of scholars will be honored at the ASF Innovators Gala on August 14 in Orlando, Fla.
Wolfe studies supernovas, the explosion of stars. His research is uniquely challenging because these supernovas are impossible to recreate on earth. In order to study the phenomena, he uses computational astrophysics to build mathematical models of supernovas and then changes individual variables to better understand them.
He strongly believes in the importance of outreach and education and has founded environmental nonprofit Scivir (pronounced SEE-ver) to gather data on air quality in North Carolina. Scivir’s mission is to accelerate environmental justice by creating new, accessible technologies that provide equal access to the tools and products of scientific discovery. Wolfe is a Park Scholar and has also served as president of NC State’s Astronomy Club.
After college, Wolfe intends to pursue a Ph.D. in astrophysics and become a professor and mentor.
