[Flicker image gallery]

The 3rd annual Fallona Family Science Interdisciplinary Research Showcase (2017 program PDF) was held in the Physics and Astronomy building on Monday, January 16, 2017.

We all again have to thank the generous contribution of the Fallona family, specifically brother and sister James and Mary Catherine Fallona, whose vision is that multi-disciplinary science research can be so much larger than the sum of the individual disciplines.

Fallona medal winner for this year was Western Chemist and Biochemical Engineer Professor Beth Gillies, who have a keynote address titled, “Triggered Degradation of Plastics: From Pharmaceuticals to Agricultural Products.”

Physics and Astronomy was well represented.  Professor Giovanni Fanchini gave a presentation “Game Changing Organic Polymers: Expanded Memory in a Flash.”

Short presentations were also given by Western chemists Professors Paul Ragogna and T.K Sham.

The Physics and Astronomy atrium the scene of 100 poster displays by Science faculty, graduate students, and research groups, from whom 3 prize winners were chosen.

The generosity of the Fallona family enabled the presentation of several thousands of dollars in monetary prizes, to be used for research travel by the winners.

First prize winner was Biology student Freda Qi (supervisor Kathleen Hill). Second place award went to André Galvao Duarte (supervisors Danielle Way and Fred Longstaffe), while 3rd place prize winner was Brendan Daisley (supervisor Gregor Reid).

This past July it was announced that medical physicist Prof.  Blaine Chronik was one of only two Western scientists to have been awarded an NSERC Industrial Research Chair (IRC) grant.

On Tuesday, 10January 2017,  Blaine’s award was celebrated with a cake, and presentation of a plaque by Physics and Astronomy Chair Bob Sica.

Congratulations Blaine. We are all proud of you!

Professor Emeritus Bob Lowe passed away peacefully in his home in London, Ontario, at 11:00pm on Saturday, 7 January 2017. He had been battling cancer.

Robert P. (Bob) Lowe was born in England, and grew up in Port Stanley. As an Honors Mathematics and Physics undergraduate at Western, he may well have been a regular commuter on the London Port Stanley train. He graduated from Western in 1957 and began working for the Defence Research Board (DRB) in Valcartier, Quebec. During his tenure at DRB, Bob continued his studies in atmospheric physics at Western under the supervision of Ralph Nichols, eventually graduating with a PhD in Physics in 1967. Bob began as a faculty member in Western’s Department of Physics in 1968, retiring from the recently formed Department of Physics and Astronomy in 2001.

Bob focused his research on the infrared airglow produced by the Hydroxyl radical. He became a world-renowned expert in satellite based observations of airglow. At one stage he used airborne-ready equipment borrowed from the DRB at Elginfield Observatory, collaborating with Jim Moorhead  and William Wehlau on various astronomy projects, observing the infrared spectra of a comet, as well as the Orion Nebula and stars in its environs. Bob also used the Canada France Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) to observe HeH+ in planetary nebula NGC 7027.

Bob Lowe did not let retirement hamper his research efforts, just recently publishing a paper with co-author and his former PhD student, Dave Turnbull. Bob’s research legacy can be partially viewed on his ResearchGate web site.

Bob had a brilliant mind, and a big heart, combined with sophisticated sense of humour.  His world-wide travels as a scientist allowed him to indulge in his love of international cuisine.

[images on Flickr]

Department of Physics and Astronomy faculty and staff attended a special post-Christmas retreat at Ivey Spencer Leadership Centre on January 4, 2017.

The day began with a wonderfully relaxing hour-long yoga class from teacher Michel.  Everyone thoroughly enjoyed it.

With stress levels dissipated, the  freshly energized retreat goers went on to a another activity, the head chef’s challenge. Placed in front of each of 4 groups of challengers was a table of sweets, candies, various fruits, graham crackers, skewers, some royal icing, and some thinner consistency icing, along with parchment pastry / piping cone paper. The idea was to have each of the teams not only assemble a creation on a 30cm. by 50cm. plate, but to concoct a story line around the creation. They were given 45 minutes to complete their chefs d’oeuvre.

Group 1 came up with a graham cracker Keck telescope and a spiral galaxy containing an assortment of sweet galactic residents. Pauline Barmby was the group presenter, and did a fine sales job.

Group 2, the overall chef’s pick for winner, had a theme of ‘Solar Eclipse Aug. 21, 2017 at Cronyn Observatory’. This display had everything, including a pineapple Sun,  chocolate Moon,  melon and cracker observatory, Alumni traffic circle, telescope, and a basement filled with historic artifacts.  Jan Cami was sales person for this project, and it is rumoured that he payed off the chef.

Group 3’s presentation was titled “Worlds Collide” and was a well presented mishmash of Sci-Fi lore, including Dr. Who’s Tardis phone booth, a Borg Cube, as well as a small collection of Sci. Fi. characters. Brian Davis did the sales work on this one.

Group 4’s sales pitch was done as a group effort, with a Star Trek theme. The story line has the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise visiting a planet that is filled with tasty alien life forms.

Lunch followed in DK’s Lounge.

After lunch the group was treated to a very interesting talk by Western Political Science professor Rado Dimitrov. Professor Dimitrov has been the Bulgarian representative to the E.U. during the recent international climate talks, culminating in the Paris Agreement. The audience was given a wonderful taste of the Paris meetings, as well as some insights into the science and diplomacy centred on the global warming issue. There were lots of questions from the audience.

The final item on the agenda was a brainstorming session on several important departmental topics, projects, and initiatives. This was led by Chair Bob Sica.