Cullen Blake recently completed his Ph.D. in Astronomy at Harvard University. He has conducted research on many topics, exploring such questions as the nature of the most energetic explosions in the universe and the rate of occurrence of extrasolar planets orbiting stars much smaller than our Sun. His dissertation, "Ultracool Dwarfs and Their Companions," explored the development of new techniques for making precise measurements of small stars known as brown dwarfs. These new experimental techniques may one day enable the detection of Earth-like extrasolar planets orbiting small stars. Today, these techniques enable astronomers to better understand the physical properties of brown dwarfs, enigmatic objects with properties intermediate between those of small stars and giant planets like Jupiter. As a graduate student, Cullen was supported by a fellowship from the interdisciplinary Harvard 'Origins of Life in the Universe Initiative', and he was recently awarded a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship. While at Harvard, Cullen taught a number of undergraduate science courses and received an award for distinction in teaching. He has been involved in several programs that provide undergraduates with research experience and has helped advise students working on both undergraduate and Masters' theses. At Princeton, Cullen will continue to search for planets outside our solar system, teach undergraduate astronomy courses, and work to establish a nation-wide program to match talented high school students who are hoping to become involved in scientific research with young scientists who will act as their mentors.