I am a scientist interested in a broad range of problems in astrophysics, particularly relating to the areas of cosmology and galaxy formation physics. I tackle these problems using large data sets that are both theoretical and observational. On the theory side, I run large N-body simulations of the universe using supercomputers. On the observational side, I use data from large galaxy surveys, which are carried out with big telescopes. My main goal is to quantitatively compare the distribution of galaxies in the universe as measured by surveys to that predicted by simulations.In 2021 I started a new job as a Program Director at the National Science Foundation, Astronomy Division. In this role I am responsible for managing federal grants to astronomy researchers across the US, with a focus on extragalactic and data science/AI related research.Previously, I was a Professor of Astrophysics at Vanderbilt University where I led a research group, advised students, and taught astrophysics graduate classes. At Vanderbilt, I also served as the founding Co-Director of the Data Science Institute (DSI). The mission of the DSI is to support data-intensive research in the natural, life, and social sciences, to launch and manage new educational tracks in data science, and to partner with industry, government and the non-profit sectors.