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Jerome,
the Future Astronomer/Professor Superstar
NAME: Jerome Pitogo de Leon
NICKNAME: Jerome, JPdeL
BIRTHDATE: May 14, 1992 (22 years old)
NATIONALITy: Filipino
Jerome graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Applied Physics from University of the Philippines Los Banos. He is currently applying for Master in Astronomy at Tohoku University in Japan. He is fascinated by a plethora of topics in Science, ranging from theoretical physics, astronomy and cosmology, to artificial intelligence (AI). He wonders what lies beyond the horizon of the observable universe, how organic materials give rise to mind and consciousness, if the technological singularity will ever occur, how space and time appear beyond the third dimension, and if we will ever find concrete evidence of advanced extraterrestial (ET) life within our lifetimes.
He has passion to become a professor and a popularizer of Science. His serious hobbies are building telescopes from scratch and astrophotography, producing thought-provokative lectures slides, and collecting textbooks to make his own library. On a regular basis, he loves playing basketball, cooking, and baking. He enjoys travelling to different countries to learn Astronomy as part of his career and meet wonderful collaborator and friends.
In the future, he plans to learn how to play the piano, violin, and saxophone as new hobbies. Moreover, he plans to create physics machines and toys as elements for demonstration in his future classes and probably just for self-satisfaction.
Integral to his formation as an astronomer/ scientist are the following great men whose legacy continues up to this day: Carl Sagan, Neil de Grasse-Tyson, Richard Feynman, Michio Kaku, Walter Lewin, and Venkataraman Balakrishnan.
Akin to the experience of the late Steve Jobbs, he always remember the old photograph of an early morning country road, the kind one might find onerself hitchhiking on if he/she were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." Jerome was so inspired that from then on, and he have always wished that for himself. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.
