Piere Joyner

I’ve always loved space. What activated my interest in astrophysics was watching the Cosmos show with my dad and being enthralled. My interest in astrophysics has been kept by a desire to inspire other students to pursue STEM.

I plan to attend graduate school and get my doctorate in astrophysics. After that, I will work in academia, committed to researching our universe. Eventually, I want to mentor and give opportunities to younger students who want to pursue astrophysics.

I just finished some research on galaxy formation, where I created color-magnitude diagrams and studied how the density of a galaxy cluster affects galaxy formation. I will be presenting research with my group at DePaul’s science showcase.

Without this scholarship, I wouldn’t be able to afford my apartment near DePaul. Without it, I’d have to wake up early and commute. Waking up that early would negatively impact my grades. Additionally, I wouldn’t be able to participate in any of my extracurricular programs.

TEAM-UP Together Scholarship Recipient in 2024 and 2025.