Publications

Publications

[1] Curtis, O., et al. "A Spectral Framework for Testing the Quasi-Star Hypothesis in Little Red Dots I: Weighing LRDs by Their Super-Eddington Luminosity Ratios—No Signs of Overmassive Black Holes." The Astrophysical Journal. (Submitted.) doi: 10.48550/arXiv.2609.09265

[2] Curtis, O., et al. "Luminosity Functions and Mass-Size Relations for Void Galaxies in the Complete SDSS DR7." The Astrophysical Journal. (Submitted.)

[3] Curtis, O., et al. "The Ĝ Infrared Search for Extraterrestrial Civilizations with Large Energy Supplies. V. When Galaxies Glow with Industry." The Astrophysical Journal. (Submitted.) doi: 10.48550/arXiv.2608.12458

[4] Garner, R., et al. (incl, Curtis, O.) "Mapping the Stellar Fossil Record of M101 with HETDEX: Spatially Resolved Ages and Metallicities." The Astrophysical Journal. (Submitted.)

[5] Moon, J., et al. (incl, Curtis, O.) "HETDEX [OII] galaxies at z≤0.48: Volume-limited samples and their power spectra." The Astrophysical Journal. (Submitted.) doi: 10.48550/arXiv.2607.08453

[6] Mentuch Cooper, E., et al. (incl, Curtis, O.) "HETDEX Public Data Release 1: Source Catalog 2 and Datacubes from ~90 sq. degrees of Integral-Field Optical Spectroscopy." The Astrophysical Journal. doi: 10.3847/1538-4365/ae6068

[7] Cleri, N., et al. (incl, Curtis, O.) "RUBIES: The Evolution of the Ionization Parameter from 0 < z < 9." The Astrophysical Journal. (Submitted.) doi: 10.48550/arXiv.2605.30410

[8] Curtis, O., et al. "The Dyson Minds 2025 Workshop: SETI Around Black Holes." Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific 138.4 (2026): 046001. doi: 10.1088/1538-3873/ae5a02

[9] Burnham, E., et al. (incl, Curtis, O.) "It's More Complicated Than You Think: A Forward Model to Infer the Recent Star Formation History, Bursty or Not, of Galaxy Populations." The Astrophysical Journal. 1001.2 (2026): 205. doi: 10.3847/1538-4357/ae562d

[10] Lujan Niemeyer, M., et al. (incl, Curtis, O.) "Lyα Intensity Mapping in HETDEX: Galaxy-Lyα Intensity Cross-power Spectrum." The Astrophysical Journal. 999.2 (2026): 177. doi: 10.3847/1538-4357/ae3a98

[11] Curtis, O., et al. "Void Galaxies and Active Galactic Nucleus Activity in ZOBOV-identified TNG300 Voids from z=3 to z=0." The Astrophysical Journal. 998.2 (2026): 325. doi: 10.3847/1538-4357/ae2f48

[12] McDonough, B., Curtis, O., and Brainerd, T.G. "Measuring Scaling Relations: Fitting Technique Matters." The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 986.2 (2025): L32. doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/ade13c

[13] Curtis, O., McDonough, B., and Brainerd, T. G. "Density Profiles of TNG 300 Voids across Cosmic Time." The Astrophysical Journal. 985.2 (2025): 244. doi: 10.3847/1538-4357/adcebf

[14] McDonough,B., Curtis, O., and Brainerd, T.G. "Intrinsic and Environmental Effects on the Distribution of Star Formation in TNG100 Galaxies." The Astrophysical Journal. 978.1 (2024): 67. doi: 10.3847/1538-4357/ad9747

[15] Curtis, O., McDonough, B., and Brainerd, T. G. "Properties of Voids and Void Galaxies in the TNG300 Simulation." The Astrophysical Journal 962.1 (2024): 58. doi: 10.3847/1538-4357/ad18b4

[16] McDonough, B., Curtis, O., and Brainerd, T. G. "Resolved Star Formation in TNG100 Central and Satellite Galaxies." The Astrophysical Journal 958.1 (2023): 19. doi: 10.3847/1538-4357/acfe0b

[17] Curtis, O., Brainerd, T. G., and Hernandez, A. "Cosmic voids in GAN-generated maps of large-scale structure." Astronomy and Computing 38 (2022): 100525. doi: 10.1016/j.ascom.2021.100525

[19] Curtis, O., and Brainerd, T. G. "Fast generation of large-scale structure density maps via generative adversarial networks." Research Notes of the AAS 4.6 (2020): 90. doi: 10.3847/2515-5172/ab9e01

[20] Chandler, C. O., Curtis, O., et al. "SAFARI: Searching asteroids for activity revealing indicators." Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific 130.993 (2018): 114502. doi: 10.1088/1538-3873/aad03d

Grants, Fellowships, and Awards

[1] 2026 Penn State Astronomy & Astrophysics Research Mentoring Award

[2] 2026 CO-I - Nancy Grace Roman Characterizing the Interstellar Medium with Stacked Spectra of Ten Million Galaxies

[3] 2026 CO-I - A Census of Black Hole Evolution using High-Ionization Emission Lines

[4] 2026 CO-I - JWST Cycle 5 "CEDAR: Characterizing Electron Densities At Reionization" - $234,113

[5] 2025 CO-I - PSU Institute for Computational and Data Science Rising Researcher Grant - $75k to fund two graduate students over three semesters.

[6] 2023 Graduate School of Arts & Sciences Summer Fellowship - $6,375.50

[7] 2023 BU Graduate Student Organization Travel Grant - $1,000

[8] 2017 Society of Physics Students National Travel Grant - $1,000

[9] 2017 USF Travel Grant - $1,000

Conference Talks and Proceedings

[1] Curtis, O., et al. "A Light in the Dark: Unveiling Delayed Star Formation Histories Within Cosmic Voids." Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos Neighborhood Meeting, Penn State University, April 2nd, 2026. Oral Presentation.

[2] Curtis, O., et al. "A Light in the Dark: Unveiling Delayed Star Formation Histories Within Cosmic Voids." Tea Talk, California Institute of Technology, March 23rd, 2026. Oral Presentation.

[3] Curtis, O., et al. "Void Galaxies and Active Galactic Nucleus Activity in ZOBOV-identified TNG300 Voids from z=3 to z=0." Tea Talk, Carnegie Observatory, March 23rd, 2026. Oral Presentation.

[4] Curtis, O., et al. "When Galaxies Glow with Industry: A Search for Dyson Sphere Waste Heat from Galaxy-Spanning Civilizations." PANOSETI All Hands Meeting, University of San Diego, March 18th, 2026. Oral Presentation.

[5] Curtis, O., et al. "When Galaxies Glow with Industry: A Search for Dyson Sphere Waste Heat from Galaxy-Spanning Civilizations." Astrobiology Colloquium Series, University of California Riverside, March 13th, 2026. Oral Presentation.

[6] Curtis, O., et al. "Dyson Spheres, Black Holes, and Minds: A Look at the Dyson Minds 2025 Workshop." IAUS 404: Advancing the Search for Technosignatures, March 4th, 2026. Oral Presentation. Published on YouTube.

[7] Curtis, O., et al. "Probing Galaxy Evolution in Cosmic Voids with the TNG300 Simulation and the HETDEX Survey." Café-club Paper Talk, Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille, January 30th, 2026. Oral Presentation.

[8] Curtis, O., et al. "Overview of Extragalactic Waste Heat SETI." Fall 2025 PSETI Seminar Series, Davey Laboratory, State College, Pennsylvania, September 25th, 2025. Oral Presentation.

[9] Curtis, O., et al. "Disentangling Technological Waste Heat from Extragalactic Dust." The 2025 PSETI Symposium, The Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center, State College, Pennsylvania, August 18th - 21st, 2025. Oral Presentation. Published on PSU Mediaspace.

[10] Curtis, O., and Ciardullo, R. "Void Galaxies in the Spitzer/HETDEX Exploratory Large-Area (SHELA) survey." 246th Meeting of the American Astronomical Society, Anchorage, Alaska, June 8th - 12th, 2025. Oral Presentation. Published on ADS.

[11] Curtis, O., et al. "Voids and Void Galaxies in the TNG300 Simulation." The Co-evolution of the Cosmic Web and Galaxies Across Cosmic Time, The Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, Santa Barbara, California, February 6th - 9th, 2023. Oral Presentation. Published on YouTube.

[12] Curtis, O., et al. "Voids and Void Galaxies in the TNG300 Simulation." Physics and Astronomy Seminar Series, Tufts University, October 22nd, 2021. Oral Presentation.

Press Releases

[1] Blue Marble Space. "Minds Around the Abyss: What Would an AI Living on a Black Hole Look Like? Olivia Curtis on Dyson Minds and Black Hole Technosignatures for IAUS404." Planetary Perspectives (2026).

[2] Anifowose, J. "Scientists say aliens may be harnessing energy from black holes." Geekspin (2026).

[3] Cost, B. "Scientists think alien civilizations could be using 'Dyson Spheres' to siphon energy from black holes." The New York Post (2026).

[4] Starr, M. "JWST Just Examined Two Stars Suspected of Harboring Dyson Spheres. Here's What It Found..." ScienceAlert (2026).

[5] MacDonald, F. "Experts Met at MIT to Discuss The Possibility of Alien Tech Around Black Holes. Here's What Was Discussed." ScienceAlert (2026).

[6] Michael, J. "Here's a look at the Penn State festival that kicks off after Arts Fest booths close." The Centre Daily Times (2025).