Submitted by Liza Young
on
2026 Dean’s Medalists, Exploring Big Questions
Tanawan (Juneau) Chatchadanoraset (Astronomy, Physics, Data Science minor)
Juneau Chatchadanoraset spends a great deal of time thinking about the universe — how galaxies evolve, whether other planets might support life, and other longstanding questions in astronomy. At the UW, he has worked on multiple research projects, leading to co-authorship of two published papers and three more in progress.
In addition to his extensive research activities, Chatchadanoraset served as an undergraduate grader for introductory astronomy courses and a peer mentor for his fellow undergraduates in the Department of Physics. He will start a PhD program in astronomy at the University of Chicago this fall.