Thomas "TJ" Gehrman, MS 2019

TJ graduated in 2019 with an MS in Physics, focusing on applications in astronomy with his supervisor Dr. Paul Eskridge. Upon graduation, he moved to the University of Oklahoma where he is currently enrolled in the PhD program in astrophysics. At Oklahoma, he now teaches four lecture sections in astronomy and credits the experience he gained at Minnesota State University, Mankato teaching labs for his success there. TJ says his coursework at Minnesota State University, specifically his classical mechanics course, has been a real benefit for his PhD coursework.

As for why he was attracted to the MS program at Minnesota State University, TJ said there were a few reasons, but "mostly because there was an observatory and there was astronomy research being done. Therefore, I could perform research in astronomy," he says. He also appreciated the smaller department, which allowed him to get to know the faculty and staff more personally.