Hi! I am Vidya Venkatesan. I am a Ph.D. student in Astrophysics at the University of California, Irvine. I work with Professor Aomawa L. Shields and explore the climate and habitability of exoplanets. My current NASA FINESST-funded project explores how the interaction between the host star spectrum and surface composition shapes the habitability and observability of extrasolar planets using a suite of climate models. I am also the lead facilitator of the Rising Stargirls program and collaborate on DEI efforts with Cal-Bridge and the UCI PACE program. My hobbies include reading/watching science fiction, running, traveling, and swing/salsa dancing.