Mary Precious Feutsop Ngouane

Mary Precious Feutsop Ngouane

Biography

Mary Precious Ngouane is a junior at Carleton College majoring in Physics and Computer Science. Her research focuses on galactic archaeology and galaxy formation using large-scale cosmological simulations. She studies the assembly histories of Milky Way–like galaxies, analyzing merger events and stellar populations over billions of years to better understand how galaxies evolve and retain chemical structure. Precious is equally interested in experimental optics and soft matter physics, where she studies the gelation behavior of photopolymers using NMR, developing accessible approaches to characterize material transitions with applications in integrated optofluidic devices. Alongside her physics work, Precious has a strong background in computer science, with experience building scalable backend systems, deploying machine learning models on real-world datasets, and developing interactive tools for large-scale data analysis. Beyond research, she is a leader in advancing equity in STEM: as a board member of ColorCode at Carleton, she secures funding, organizes technical programs, and builds community for students of color in computer science; as a peer leader, she helps design and lead programs for over 500 international students, creating cross-cultural initiatives and high-impact community events that strengthen belonging and support; and through her outreach work, she coordinates initiatives delivering educational resources to underserved communities. Precious’ work reflects a commitment to interdisciplinary innovation and to expanding access and belonging in physics and technology.