Leesa was born and raised on O‘ahu, graduating from Mililani High
School and Leeward Community College in 2025. She currently
attends Purdue University, pursuing degrees in Mechanical
Engineering and Applied Statistics with a minor in Electrical &
Computer Engineering. She is particularly interested in
sustainability and the aerospace industry. At Purdue, Leesa is
involved in the Space & Earth Analogs Research Chapter, where
she leads the development of waste management systems for a
mini space habitat for analog research on campus. She is also part
of the systems engineering team for Purdue Lunabotics and works
on research in the Stellar Evolution & Galactic Astronomy Research
Lab. Outside of academics, she enjoys reading, crocheting, going
on walks, and watching sitcoms.
Home Island: Oahu
High School: Mililani High
School
Institution when accepted: Purdue University
Site: University of California Observatories (UCO). Santa Cruz, CA
Mentors: Dale Sandford
Project title: Testing Thermoelectric Coolers for Lick Observatory’s CCD Cameras
Project Abstract:
Located on Mount Hamilton, Northern California, the Lick Observatory’s Shane Telescope utilizes
charge-coupled device (CCD) cameras on its Kast Double-Beam Spectrograph to capture spectral
data. To minimize thermal noise and maintain optimal signal quality, the cameras operate at
cryogenic temperatures (-80 to -110°C) inside a vacuum chamber. This is currently achieved
through liquid nitrogen cooling, requiring labor-intensive and potentially hazardous daily manual
refills at the Cassegrain focus of the telescope. Thermoelectric cooling systems (TECs) are a
promising alternative, providing electronically controlled cooling with reduced maintenance and
costs. However, complex thermal variables affecting TEC performance, including contact resistance
and heat extraction, make accurate computational modeling difficult. To determine performance
beyond theoretical computations, a physical test system was developed by integrating an
off-the-shelf TEC into an existing camera vacuum chamber model. The mechanical mount for the
TEC was designed using SolidWorks and fabricated by the University of California Observatories
machine shop. Temperature sensors were also added at key locations to evaluate the TEC’s cooling
performance under vacuum conditions. Preliminary test data indicated that the initial TEC setup
was unsuccessful at cooling the mock CCD to target cryogenic temperatures. Accordingly,
optimizations are currently in progress to improve thermal isolation and heat extraction paths. The
resulting performance data will guide the final recommendation for integration into the existing
Kast Red Camera.