Dr. Malena Rice is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Astronomy at Yale University. Her research centers on the formation and evolution of planetary systems, spanning topics including extrasolar planets, stars, and the outer solar system. She is originally from sunny southern California, and she received her B.A. degrees in Physics and Astrophysics at UC Berkeley before going on to complete her Ph.D. in Astronomy at Yale University. When not puzzling over the stars, Dr. Rice enjoys reading, playing the flute, cuddling with her puppy Kelvin, and eating great bread.