Olympiads

I am a board member, volunteer team leader and coach for the United States Astronomy and Astrophysics Organisation/Olympiad (USAAAO).
Please check our website at https://usaaao.org/

I compiled the IOAA Problem Book (2007–present), a searchable, topic-organized collection containing all IOAA problem statements and all available official solution material. The complete LaTeX source is available on GitHub.

To learn how to study for the International Olympiad of Astronomy and Astrophysics, please go through the resources available here: https://usaaao.org/resources/

In 2020, I was part of the 10-member Academic Committee that helped organize the online version of IOAA, called the Globel e-Competition on Astronomy and Astrophysics. I published a report on this event in the American Journal of Physics, available as a pdf here, and on the arXiv at https://arxiv.org/abs/2111.12095

During my time in high school in Romania, I participated in many international science competitions, like IPhO, IOA, IJSO, and most importantly, two editions of the International Olympiad of Astronomy and Astrophysics. The olympiads meant a lot to me, on personal and professional level. They gave me the chance to pursue a rigurous training in science, and to connect with many peers with similar interests. Eventually, they ended up informing my career choice.
I find passion in teaching and learning, and I appreciate the chance of doing both of them at the side of the USA national astronomy and astrophysics olympiad team, as a coach and team leader. Organizing the selection and training the team is a hard but rewarding process.

Most importantly, I am very grateful to have met amazing students and colleagues through this process, at USAAAO and the International Board of the IOAA.