Black holes and activism inspire this astrophysicist.

BLACK holes; VANDERBILT University; LYNDON B. Johnson Space Center; UNIVERSITY of Utah; SUPERMASSIVE black holes; ASTROPHYSICISTS; ACTIVISM; DWARF galaxies

Mallory Molina is an astrophysicist at the University of Utah and Vanderbilt University who studies supermassive black holes in dwarf galaxies. Their interest in space was sparked during a visit to the Johnson Space Center as a child. Molina faced challenges as a Mexican-American student, which inspired them to co-found Towards a More Inclusive Astronomy (TaMIA), a program that aims to make astronomy departments more inclusive for students who experience the world differently. Molina discusses their career inspiration, idea generation process, overcoming failures, and advice for aspiring scientists. In their free time, they enjoy hiking, movies, reading, and baking. Molina emphasizes the importance of being true to oneself and forging one's own path in order to find success and happiness. [Extracted from the article]

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