Photo courtesy of Sebastian Gomez.
Who am I?
Note that I am on parental leave until Nov 2025.
I am an Assistant Professor of Astrostatistics jointly appointed between the Department of Statistical Sciences and the David A. Dunlap Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics at the University of Toronto. I am also an Associate Member of the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics as well as a Member of the Data Sciences Institute. More information about me can be found on my Personal page.
What do I do?
My research focuses on using a combination of astronomy, statistics, and data science to understand the how galaxies like our own Milky Way form, behave, and evolve over time. This often involves working with massive datasets from wide-field imaging and spectroscopic surveys containing observations ranging from billions of stars and galaxies to interstellar gas and dust. I also teach both undergraduate and graduate courses in statistics and astronomy, serve on a few committees (both within the University of Toronto and some professional societies such as the AAS, ASA-AIG, and SSC-DSA), and help manage the Astronomy & Astrophysics Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) (the largest of its kind in Canada!).
Who do I work with?
I am incredibly fortunate to co-lead the interdisciplinary Astrostatistics Research Team (ART) along with Gwendolyn Eadie. For more information about the people involved and the research we do, please check out our homepage!
Interested in learning more?
If would like to get in touch, my email address is j.speagle@utoronto.ca. My offices are UY 9108 (Statistical Sciences) and AB 206 (Astronomy & Astrophysics), although the odds of pinning me down in one of my offices without setting up an appointment first are likely pretty slim!
If you are interested in working with me as a Master's or Ph.D. student: Please be aware that while you are welcome to reach out to chat about my work, I cannot directly admit graduate students. If you are interested in potentially working with me, I would instead encourage you to apply to the Department of Statistical Sciences and/or David A. Dunlap Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics Master's/Doctoral program streams. If you are admitted, I would be happy to discuss further potential collaboration opportunities.
If you are interested in working with me as an undergraduate student: Please be aware that while you are welcome to reach out to chat about my work, my general policy is not to accept students through ad hoc channels. Instead, I often post opportunities through existing program streams in order to ensure a broader cohort of potential applicants whose materials can be reviewed in a more inclusive and equitable manner.
If you are a current University of Toronto student, opportunities include: the Faculty of Arts & Science Research Opportunity Program (ROP), the University of Toronto Work Study Program (WSP), and the Department of Statistical Sciences Summer Undergraduate Research Award (only eligible for upper-level Statistical Science majors and specialists), as well as independent study courses (e.g., AST 430, STA 496) or thesis/capstone research classes (e.g., AST 425).
If you are a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or hold a valid student permit (i.e. you do not need to go through IRCC to accept a position), opportunities include: the Astronomy & Astrophysics Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) and the Data Sciences Institute's Summer Undergraduate Data Science (SUDS) Opportunities Program.
Finally, if you are an international student who does not belong in any of the above categories (i.e. you would need to apply for a student/work permit through IRCC), opportunities include: the Mitacs Globalink Research Internship (GRI) and Globalink Research Award.
If you are interested in working with me from outside a university setting: Please be aware that while you are welcome to reach out to chat about my work, I might not be able to match your interest or have opportunities available for you. While I have worked with high school students and non-traditional applicants before (e.g., through co-op placements), I generally also prefer to partner with existing programs such as Visions of Science.