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UC grad finds success following her passion, studying the stars
October 9, 2023
Amanda Bauer might have spent her career travelling the globe with a degree in French, but the future had other plans. Instead, she found her calling in astronomy through UC’s College of Arts and Sciences.
Bauer graduated from UC in 2002 with a Bachelor of Science with high honors. Today, she is deputy director and head of science and education for Yerkes Observatory in Wisconsin.
Bauer came to UC with a dilemma like many other high school graduates; she knew what she wanted to study but was unsure of the path. “When I was growing up, I wanted to study astronomy, but had not met any scientists and honestly did not know it was physics. So, I majored in French thinking I could travel - my other passion,” said Bauer.
Bauer came to see that her first choice was not the right fit, despite her love of travel. She loved astronomy, but no track or major existed within the university at the time.