About Me

I am an NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. I received my PhD in 2025 from the David A. Dunlap Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Toronto, where I was also a doctoral fellow of the Data Sciences Institute. I hold a Bachelor's of Science (BS) in Astrophysics and Anthropology from Yale University.

My research focuses on understanding clustered star formation in low-mass galaxies. My PhD work primarily used globular clusters in nearby dwarf galaxies as probes of high-z star formation, and my current research combines knowledge of evolved globular clusters with observations of high-z stellar clumps and clusters to better understand globular cluster formation and evolution. I work in the interdisciplinary field of astrostatistics, using novel statistical methodologies to characterize relationships between low-mass galaxies and their star cluster populations.

I am also passionate about teaching. In 2024 I developed and taught a first-year seminar course at UofT that focused on how scientific paradigms are proposed, accepted, or rejected amongst the scientific community and general public. I also have extensive experience TAing both introductory and astronomy major courses.

When I’m not working, I like to spend my time cooking and baking, reading, traveling, and caring for my many houseplants.

If you'd like to get in touch, my email address is sberek[at]umass.edu