My Work.
Hello, I’m Tia Martineau, an Assistant Teaching Professor at the University of New England. My work sits at the intersection of astrophysics, computation, and physics education. As a teaching professor, I am especially interested in helping students build confidence with physics, mathematics, and scientific problem-solving, while also showing them how creative and human scientific work can be. If you are curious what I am up to now, feel free to contact me. :-)
My research background is in numerical relativity and black hole-neutron star mergers. I previously studied the behavior of matter in these extreme systems, including tidal disruption, gravitational waveforms, ejecta composition, and the formation of low-mass accretion disks after merger. This research has implications for interpreting gravitational wave signals, identifying possible electromagnetic counterparts, and understanding whether black hole-neutron star mergers contribute to r-process nucleosynthesis.
Density plot of a BHNS merger with a disrupting neutron star
As a teaching professor, my work is now centered on physics education, mentorship, and helping students build confidence in scientific problem-solving. I am especially interested in making physics feel more accessible, creative, and connected to the real world. My teaching draws on my background in astrophysics, numerical relativity, and computational physics, as well as my earlier experience teaching honors-level physics to high school students and working with STEM education programs
Outside of work, I find balance through baking, running, gardening, and art. I value creativity in many forms, whether that means solving equations, designing a lesson, making a figure, or trying a new recipe. That blend of analytical and creative thinking shapes how I approach research, teaching, and life.
