pchichura.github.io/index.html at main · pchichura/pchichura.github.io · GitHub

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="UTF-8">
  <title>Paul Chichura</title>
  <meta name="google-site-verification" content="azEihSXoDF7uoVwHyK0moDKgzIciaQPmYwbSVvWPmrw" />
  <meta name="description" content="Personal website of Paul Chichura – research, projects, and publications in astronomy, machine learning, and data science." />
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="style.css">
  <link rel="canonical" href="https://pchichura.github.io/">
</head>

<body>
  <header class="site-header">
    <div class="header-center">
      <h1><a href="index.html" class="site-title-link">Paul Chichura</a></h1>
    </div>

    <div class="header-right">
      <!-- hamburger/menu button (visible on mobile only) -->
      <button class="menu-toggle" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="primary-navigation" aria-label="Open menu">☰</button>

      <!-- primary navigation -->
      <nav id="primary-navigation" class="nav-links" role="navigation" aria-label="Primary">
        <a href="index.html">About</a>
        <a href="research.html">Research</a>
        <a href="publications.html">Publications</a>
        <a href="talks.html">Talks</a>
        <a href="projects.html">For Fun</a>
        <a href="cv.html">CV</a>
      </nav>

      <!-- theme toggle stays at far right -->
      <button id="theme-toggle" aria-pressed="false" aria-label="Toggle dark mode">⏾</button>
    </div>
  </header>

  <!-- Main content -->
  <div class="content">
    <div class="home-columns">
      <!-- Left column: main text -->
      <main class="main-column">
        <h2>About</h2>
        <p>
          I am a postdoctoral scholar at the
          <a href="https://skai-institute.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">NSF-Simons AI Institute for the Sky (SkAI)</a>,
          based at the University of Chicago in the
          <a href="https://astrophysics.uchicago.edu" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics</a>
          working with
          <a href="https://astrophysics.uchicago.edu/people/profile/alex-drlica-wagner/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Alex Drlica-Wagner</a>.
          I earned my PhD in Physics from UChicago in 2025, advised by
          <a href="https://kavlicosmo.uchicago.edu/people/profile/thomas-crawford/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Thomas Crawford</a>,
          and I previously completed a BA in Physics (minor in Mathematics) and an MS in Physics and Astronomy at the University of Pennsylvania, advised by
          <a href="https://live-sas-physics.pantheon.sas.upenn.edu/people/standing-faculty/james-aguirre" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">James Aguirre</a>.
        </p>

        <p>
          I specialize in data analysis, machine learning, and complex systems modeling.
          My current research focuses on developing AI-driven methods to optimize telescope scheduling, i.e. automating how telescopes decide what to look at and when.
          Previously, I integrated machine learning models into telescope control systems to improve pointing accuracy and explored new applications of millimeter-wave survey data from the South Pole Telescope.
          Broadly, I’m interested in time-domain and variable sources, telescope operations, and the role of AI in advancing survey design and data analysis.
        </p>

        <p>
          I grew up near Scranton, Pennsylvania, where I spent much of my time in mock trial and theater.
          In college and grad school, I continued performing with
          <a href="https://disneyacappella.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Disney A Cappella</a>
          and
          <a href="https://www.instagram.com/uchicagorunforcover/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Run For Cover</a>.
          Nowadays, I enjoy trying new food, renovating my bathroom, and (very slowly) learning Mandarin.
        </p>
      </main>

      <!-- Right column: sidebar -->
      <aside class="sidebar">
        <img src="images/profile.jpeg" alt="My photo" class="profile-pic-sidebar">
        <h3>Paul Chichura</h3>
        <p class="sidebar-location">
          <span class="sidebar-location-icon">
            <img src="images/icon-location.svg" alt="Location" class="sidebar-icon">
          </span>
          <span class="sidebar-location-text">
            Chicago, IL<br>
            SkAI Hub: Room 3566<br>
            UChicago: ERC 423
          </span>
        </p>
        <p>
          <a href="mailto:pchichura@uchicago.edu" target="_blank">
            <img src="images/icon-email.svg" alt="Email" class="sidebar-icon">
            <span>pchichura at uchicago dot edu</span>
          </a>
        </p>
        <p>
          <a href="https://linkedin.com/in/pchichura" target="_blank">
            <img src="images/icon-linkedin.svg" alt="LinkedIn" class="sidebar-icon">
            <span>pchichura</span>
          </a>
        </p>
        <p>
          <a href="https://github.com/pchichura" target="_blank">
            <img src="images/icon-github.svg" alt="GitHub" class="sidebar-icon">
            <span>pchichura</span>
          </a>
        </p>
        <p>
          <a href="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5397-9035" target="_blank">
            <img src="images/icon-orcid.svg" alt="ORCID" class="sidebar-icon">
            <span>0000-0002-5397-9035</span>
          </a>
        </p>
        <p>
          <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=D033cUUAAAAJ&hl=en" target="_blank">
            <img src="images/icon-googlescholar.svg" alt="Google Scholar" class="sidebar-icon">
            <span>Google Scholar</span>
          </a>
        </p>
      </aside>
    </div>
  </div>

  <footer>
    <div class="site-footer">
      <div class="footer-copyright">
        © 2025 Paul Chichura
      </div>
      <div class="footer-social-grid">
        <div class="footer-item">
          <a href="https://linkedin.com/in/pchichura" target="_blank">
            <img src="images/icon-linkedin.svg" alt="LinkedIn">
            <span>pchichura</span>
          </a>
        </div>
        <div class="footer-item">
          <a href="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5397-9035" target="_blank">
            <img src="images/icon-orcid.svg" alt="ORCID">
            <span>0000-0002-5397-9035</span>
          </a>
        </div>
        <div class="footer-item">
          <a href="https://github.com/pchichura" target="_blank">
            <img src="images/icon-github.svg" alt="GitHub">
            <span>pchichura</span>
          </a>
        </div>
        <div class="footer-item">
          <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=D033cUUAAAAJ&hl=en" target="_blank">
            <img src="images/icon-googlescholar.svg" alt="Google Scholar">
            <span>Google Scholar</span>
          </a>
        </div>
      </div>
    </div>
  </footer>

  <script>
    // theme toggle: initialize from localStorage or system, and wire the button
    (function() {
      const root = document.documentElement;
      const stored = localStorage.getItem('theme');
      const prefersDark = window.matchMedia && window.matchMedia('(prefers-color-scheme: dark)').matches;
      const initial = stored || (prefersDark ? 'dark' : 'light');
      root.setAttribute('data-theme', initial);

      const btn = document.getElementById('theme-toggle');
      if (!btn) return;
      const updateBtn = (theme) => {
        btn.setAttribute('aria-pressed', theme === 'dark' ? 'true' : 'false');
        btn.textContent = theme === 'dark' ? '☀︎' : '⏾';
      };
      updateBtn(initial);

      btn.addEventListener('click', () => {
        const cur = root.getAttribute('data-theme') === 'dark' ? 'dark' : 'light';
        const next = cur === 'dark' ? 'light' : 'dark';
        root.setAttribute('data-theme', next);
        localStorage.setItem('theme', next);
        updateBtn(next);
      });
    })();
  </script>
  <script>
    // Hamburger menu toggle
    const menuToggle = document.querySelector('.menu-toggle');
    const navLinks = document.getElementById('primary-navigation');

    menuToggle.addEventListener('click', function() {
      const expanded = this.getAttribute('aria-expanded') === 'true' || false;
      this.setAttribute('aria-expanded', !expanded);
      navLinks.classList.toggle('open');
    });
  </script>

</body>
</html>