On Wednesday December 13, 2017, Yang Liu gave a public lecture on her thesis topic: “Three Experiments on Complex Fluids”.

She then successfully defended the thesis. Yang was supervised by Dr. John R. de Bruyn.

The Department of Physics and Astronomy is proud to present the 2017-18 winners of the Jackson Scholarship  and the Wehlau Award.

The Lillian Margaret & Walter David Jackson Scholarship in Physics is awarded annually to a Masters or Doctoral student in the Physics graduate program.

This year’s recipient is PhD candidate, Sayantan Auddy.

Sayantan is a genuine scholar. In four years at Western, he has seven papers in print, press, or submitted, including three first-author papers.  Sayantan is also an active member of the P&A Graduate Council and has been one of the main movers in organizing multiple ping pong tournaments and potluck luncheons. Sayantan can always be counted upon to take on tasks with dedication, responsibility, and a smile.

The William H. Wehlau Award is presented annually to a student in the Master’s or Doctoral program in Astronomy.

This year’s recipient is PhD candidate, Shannon Hicks.

Shannon is a natural leader and organizer in her research group. She is excellent with the lidar equipment, and will be applying a new technique to make a significant new database for atmospheric water vapour. In addition to academic and research excellence, Shannon has done exceptional outreach work for the Department and the broader scientific community.

Congratualtions to both of our outstanding award winners!

The Department of Physics and Astronomy gathered in the atrium on Thursday,  December 7 to deck the halls, trim the trees and make merry at the annual holiday party.

The lunch was preceded by a town hall hosted by Department Chair, Bob Sica, who highlighted accomplishments and successes of the past year, faculty promotions, student awards and industrial partnerships, while laying out a vision for the year to come.

There was a special presentation to PhD candidate Mark Baker by the second year Oscillations and Waves class to thank him for his outstanding teaching this fall.

The best holiday attire contest saw five strong entrants, with Frank Van Sas and his double-sided sweater taking the prize, while the raffle winner was Paul Christiaans.

The event was well attended as always, the lunch delicious, the atrium well-appointed and the prop-laden photo booth enjoyed as well.

A big thanks goes to the front office staff, Emily, Jen Brian and Jodi for organizing and decorating, to Phin for photos and logistics, and to Paul, Brian, Frank and Shailesh for assisting with set up and tear down.

[google photos of event]

On Tuesday November 21, 2017, Dilini Subasinghe gave a public lecture on her thesis topic “Physical Properties of Faint Meteors Through High-Resolution Observations”.

She then successfully defended the thesis. Dilini was supervised by Dr. Margaret Campbell-Brown.

On Monday November 13, 2017 The Physics and Astronomy Graduate Council orgainzed a pot luck lunch to coincide with International Week at Western.

More than 50 members of the department participated in the much-anticipated annual event, bringing dishes from all over the globe for a tasty smorgasbord. Everyone left very full and looking forward to next year’s pot luck.

A big thank you to Grad Council members Nirosh Getangama and Sayantan Auddy for spearheading the organization of the event yet again.

[google photos of the event]

The physics and astronomy building was a buzz on Sunday November 12, 2017 as parents and prospective students descended for the science showcase on Fall Preview Day. One of the largest crowds in recent memory kept the atrium full and the volunteers busy throughout the day.

To Sab Ezugwu for getting our exhibit ready, set up and disassembled, to Shailesh Nene and Maryam Tabeshian for handling the lab tours, to Jan Cami for organizing and leading the Cronyn tours, to Phin Perquin for various set up and photography tasks, and to Jen Tilston for organizing in the lead up.

The day would not have been the success it was without your efforts!

[google photos from the day]

On the afternoon of Tuesday, November 14, 2017, on the east lawn, the Department of Physics and Astronomy held a ceremonial tree planting in memory of late faculty member Don Moorcroft.

The event was well attended, Don’s wife and children were on hand, as well as many of his former colleagues, both current and emeritus professors, stopping by to pay their respects and share stories and memeroies of Don.

Department Chair Bob Sica commenced the planting ceremony, speaking about Don before reciting the wording of the plaque which accompanies the tree and commemorates Don’s career and impact on our community.

The plaque reads:

Western Physics and Astronomy alumnus and session instructor, Maryam Tabeshian (PhD 2017), recently had her research featured in Scientific American. She was interviewed about the research she and professor Paul Wiegert conduct on exoplanet/exodisks and the model she developed to aid in detecting for them. The full article can be read here.

Congratulations Maryam, for this well-deserved recognition.

On Monday November 6, 2017 The Department of Physics and Astronomy hosted the annual Elizabeth Laird Memorial Prize Lecture.

The Prize Lecture commemorates Prof. Elizabeth Laird, an extraordinary individual who was a member of the Department of Physics at the University of Western Ontario in the 1940s, and is awarded to an individual who has made a significant contribution to physics or applied physics and overcome a significant personal or professional obstacle during the course of their career.

This year’s lecture was given by Dr. C. Megan Urry Israel Munson Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Director – Yale Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics. Dr. Urry’s topic was “Black Holes, Galaxies, and the Evolution of the Universe”.

Dr. Urry is well-known for her work on active galaxies, galaxies with unusually luminous cores powered by very massive black holes, and has been a leader on the science teams that embarked on some of the deepest sky surveys with multiple space telescopes, searching for distant active galaxies to track the growth of very massive black holes over cosmic time and how that growth impacts the galaxies they inhabit.

Her legacy of research excellence and extraordinary service to the community, particularly in the area of advancing the status of women and minorities in science, make Dr. Urry a superlative representative of the legacy of Elizabeth Laird, and we were honoured to have her speak to us.

A reception followed the lecture.

[google photos of the event]

Fall graduation for the Faculty of Science was held on Wednesday, October 25, 2017.

A noon hour reception and recognition ceremony were held in the Physics and Astronomy atrium 2nd floor lounge. The dpeartment had seven graduates this fall, five of whom were in attendance with their families, and friends.

Students were introduced by their supervisors, who spoke a bit about their research together and future plans. Each graduating student received the traditional departmental coffee mug.

Congratualtions to all our Fall 2017 graduates!

[google photos of event]