Press & Media
The entries below serve as an (incomplete) archive of past achievements. ***
SMU student, Andrew Valencik, wins top prize at physics convention
Special congratulations go to Andrew Valencik who tied for first place for the best talk at AUPA 2012. Andrew conducted his research at TRIUMF during the summer of 2011 under the supervision and guidance of Prof. Rituparna Kanungo
SMU students win top prize at physics convention
Our own Masaki Uchida and Damien Robertson earned top honors this past week at the Canadian Undergraduate Physics Conference. Masaki won 1st prize in the nuclear physics category, and Damien won 2nd prize in the astronomy category for their oral presentations. Masaki and Damien conduct their research under the guidance of Prof. Rituparna Kanungo and Prof. Luigi Gallo accordingly.
SMU student earns $150,000 scholarship
Our own Michael Gruberbauer was awarded the prestigious $150,000 three-year Vanier scholarship. Michael is part of the MOST team and conducts his research, along with fellow collaborator and SMU student Mike Casey, under the guidance of Prof. David Guenther. Prof. David Guenther mentors students who have an interest in modelling the pulsations of stellar objects. Prospective students are encouraged to visit his website for additional information. More info on Michael's award can be found in the article published in the Chronicle Herald, or the SMU press release.
The naming of asteroid 6898 Saint-Marys
An asteroid discovered by Carolyn Shoemaker was named in honor of Saint Mary's University for its 200th anniversary (Asteroid 6898 Saint-Marys). The press conference was replete with delightful humour, great anecdotes, and certainly enjoyed by the crowd. Present are faculty members Prof. David Turner and Dave Lane, former alumini Paul Gray, the University's president Colin Dodds, and former Dean of Science David Richardson. Will asteroid 6898 Saint-Marys be mined for precious metals so to fund the construction of a new building on campus? Will 6989 Saint-Marys ever strike earth? Press play to find out more.
Prof. Ian Short Discusses Willard Boyle's Nobel Prize Win
Prof. Ian Short was interviewed by the CBC's Elizabeth Chiu regarding the impact of Willard Boyle's Nobel Prize winning invention: the CCD. The relevant videos can be found on the CBC's website. Prof. Ian Short's mentors students who have an interest in stellar atmospheres. Prospective students are encouraged to visit his website to learn more about his research.
SMU Physicist Spearheads Million Dollar Research Project
Saint Mary's Physicist Prof. Rituparna Kanungo has been tapped to spearhead a million dollar project that involves building a unique world-class facility for investigating nuclear reactions with energetic beams of unstable nuclei (ISAC Charges Particle Spectroscopy Station (IRIS)). The SMU press release is available here. Prof. Rituparna Kanungo is mentoring several students who are interested in experimental subatomic physics. Interested students are also encouraged to visit the websites of Prof. Adam Sarty & Prof. Roby Austin, whose interest also lies in experimental physics. The students in the above picture are Aaron Gallant and Masaki Uchida.
SMU Grad Wins Prestigious Plaskett Medal.
The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada and the Canadian Astronomical Society have awarded our own Catherine Lovekin the Plaskett Medal. As a recent graduate, she was judged to have submitted the most outstanding astronomy-related doctoral thesis in Canada. There was no doubt she was going to win granted, among other talents, she can play my piano with a broken wrist. Catherine did her research under the guidance of Prof. Robert Deupree & Prof. Ian Short. Catherine's win was also featured in the Chronicle Herald: "SMU Grad Wins National Award!".
SMU Physicists Make Research Breakthroughs
A team lead by Saint Mary's Physicist Prof. Rituparna Kanungo has shed further light on the structure of exotic nuclei, a discovery which shall help physicists gain a better understanding of neutron-rich environments such as neutron stars and supernovae. Undergraduate student Chris Perro was also part of the team. The Physicworld and SMU press releases are available (1,2).
Prof. Short Lectures on Brown Dwarfs
Prof. Ian Short gave the third in a series of lectures at Saint Mary's University in celebration of the International Year of Astronomy. He discussed the properties and importance of brown dwarfs, and how their discovery is changing the way we think of the solar neigborhood and the Galaxy. A video of the lecture shall be posted soon. Prof. Ian Short's mentors students who have an interest in stellar atmospheres. Prospective students are encouraged to visit his website to learn more about his research.
Computing the Cosmos, from the Big Bang to Galaxies
Prof. Rob Thacker lectures on supercomputers and how they allow astronomers & astrophysicists to create digital simulations of the Universe. In this talk, he explores some of the spectacular progress that has resulted from such techniques. Podium TV is sponsored by the kind folks at Eastlink Television. The cool folks at astronomynovascotia.ca have also posted the lecture for download (Lecture). Prof. Rob Thacker's mentors students who have an interest in modelling large scale structure and galaxy formation. Prospective students are encouraged to visit his website for additional information.
Lectures by Prof. Marcin Sawicki & Blair MacDonald
Prof. Marcin Sawicki and the RASC's Blair MacDonald lecture on the history of astronomy and black holes. The cool folks at astronomynovascotia.ca have posted both lectures for download (Lecture 1 & Lecture 2). Prof. Marcin Sawicki mentors students who have an interest in high-redshift galaxies. Interested students are encouraged to visit his website to learn more about his research.
Prof. David Turner & Dave Lane Ridicule the "Maya 2012" Pseudo-Science Epidemic
Prof. David Turner and Dave Lane chat with the CBC's Blair Saunderson regarding the outrageous pseudo-science doomsday prophecy ("Maya 2012"). The cool folks at astronomynovascotia.ca have posted the interview for download.
Prof. Rob Thacker Discusses The Existence of Life in the Galaxy
Prof. Rob Thacker sits down with Rachel Boomer of Metronews to discuss the prospects of finding intelligent life in the Galaxy. The article can be seen here.
Prof. Rob Thacker Discusses the Role of Supercomputers in Astronomy
Prof. Rob Thacker sits down with Terrence McEachern of U-news to discuss the role of supercomputers in astronomy. The article can be seen here.
Mark Richardson Writes About the IYA in the SMU Journal
SMU Undergrad Mark Richardson details the IYA and its events in this week's issue of the SMU Journal. Included is a lovely image on the front page of the issue. Mark is doing his honors research under the guidance of Prof. Rob Thacker.
SMU Folks Discuss IYA Events on TV
Andrea Misner and Dave Lane sit down with Liz Rigney and Jayson Baxter to discuss IYA events on ATV. Dave Chapman, and the cool folks at astronomynovascotia.ca, have made the Live At 5 and BTV segments available for download. Andrea Misner is an alumini of the Department of Astronomy & Physics and has recently been nominated to the prestigious position of President of the Halifax Chapter of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.
SMU Folks Discuss IYA Events on CBC Radio
SMU folks seemed to be dominating the radio waves today. Prof. Robert Thacker was discussing the possibility of life in the Galaxy on CBC Radio 1, Main street, and Prof. Doug Pitcarin and Dave Lane hosted an astronomy phone-in on CBC's Maritime Noon. Dave Chapman, and the cool folks at astronomynovascotia.ca, have posted mp3s of the interviews for download (interview, phone-in).
Prof. David Turner Discusses the Leap Second on CBC National
Yet another interesting report by Tom Murphy (CBC), this time featuring Prof. David Turner and his thoughts on the leap second. Prof. David Turner mentors students who have an interest in observational astronomy, which includes obtaining measurements from the campus' telescope so to infer the evolutionary history of the North Star (Polaris). You can visit his website to learn more about his research.
The December issue of The Times has a nice spiel on SMU's efforts to kick off the International Year of Astronomy, noting in particular the opening lecture being given by Prof. Marcin Sawicki on Imperfect Machines: how telescopes have changed our understanding of the Universe and of our place in it. SMU's IYA effort is being spearheaded by Prof. Rob Thacker, Prof. Marcin Sawicki, David Williamson, Mark Richardson, and SMU alumini Andrea Misner among others. The issue also highlights Prof. Adam Sarty and Dave Lane's recent commendations (the Science Champion and President's Award respectively).
SMU Experiment Garners Attention on NASA's APOD
An astronomy & physics demonstration by Prof. Mike Dunlavy and Sarah Reeve was referred to this past week on NASA's famed Astronomy Picture of the Day website. The YouTube video of the demo can be seen here. A number of other interesting experiments can also be found at Saint Mary's Astronomy and Physics demo site. Indeed, I am certain the SMU demo site will continue to attract much attention, especially when the videos are posted to a larger audience on YouTube.
Member of the Astronomy & Physics Department Wins Science Award.
Prof. Adam Sarty's work in science outreach was recognized at the 6th annual Discovery Awards Gala for Science & Technology. This marks the second year in a row that members from the department of Astronomy & Physics have won the award, last year's winner being Dave Lane. You can read more about the news via smu's press release, or the article in the Chronicle Herald.
Astronomy Grad Discusses the RASC, SMU, and Astronomy on CBC's Living Halifax
Astronomy grad and now teacher extraordinaire Andrea Misner talks astronomy with the host of CBC's Living Halifax, Heidi Petracek. You can watch the interesting segment here.
Prof. Adam Sarty Again Recognized for Outstanding Teaching
The 2008 President's report states: "Our efforts continue to pay off as can be seen by our award winning professors, such as Dr. Adam Sarty, who infuses students with his great passion for physics." The article can be downloaded here. Prof. Adam Sarty mentors students who have an interest in nuclear and particle physics. You can visit his website to learn more about his research.
SMU Student Mark Richardson Scores High in Prestigous Math Competition
Astronomy student Mark Richardson (far right) was the top SMU student at this year's prestigious Putnam math competition. Mark completed his undergraduated degree and honors thesis, Exploring a scale-free cosmology with spectral index n=-2.25, under the guidance of Prof. Rob Thacker.
AP Graduates Featured in New Brochure
AP grads Carolyn Tilley, Andrea Misner, and Adam Chaffey featured in a brochure highlighting the modernization of the Science building. The full brochure can be seen here.
Asteroid Named in Honor of SMU Astronomer
Dave Lane is nominated president of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada and also has an asteroid named in his honor (117032 DavidLane). This latter dedication places him in a prestigious club which includes his fellow SMU astronomer and good friend, Prof. David Turner (27810 Daveturner). Read the article featured in the Chronicle Herald here.
Chris Geroux, Jon Ramsey, and Prof. Robert Deupree featured in the Chronicle Herald (5/15/2008)
The official opening of the datacave this past week (June 10th) garnered a lot of media attention, read the article featured in the Chronicle Herald here. Students Jon Ramsey and Chris Geroux are the University's foremost experts on the matter. Jon and Chris are doing their research under the guidance of Prof. David Clarke and Prof. Robert Deupree.
Prof. David Turner's and the Stars of St. John's Church
A new leaflet and article in the Chronicle Herald highlights Prof. David Turner's involvement in solving the mystery of The Stars of St. John's Church. The story demonstrates a wonderful collaboration between the Department and the local community. A Discovery Channel documentary on the story can be viewed on youtube or seen below, and pictures taken during a recent visit with Rev'd Michael Mitchell can be seen here.
Jon Ramsey and Prof. Robert Deupree on the CBC National.
See yet another awesome report by the CBC's Tom Murphy on the Department's Data Cave, featuring our own Jon Ramsey and Prof. Robert Deupree. Prof. Robert Deupree mentors students who have an interest in stellar computational astrophysics, such as modelling the rotation of stars in 3D. You can visit his website to learn more about his research.
Prof. Adam Sarty CAPs year with national medal for teaching
Read the SMU press release here. Prof. Adam Sarty mentors students who have an interest in nuclear and particle physics. You can visit his website to learn more about his research. The above video interview was conducted by the cool folks at SMUtube.
Prof. Marcin Sawicki Awarded Large Grant from Canadian Space Agency
Prof. Marcin Sawicki's primary interest lies in the observations of high-redshift (distance) galaxies. He is also an active member of the Canadian team involved with the future launch of the Hubble space telescope's successor: the James Webb Telescope. Read the SMU press release here.
SMU grad Joel Tanner wins prestigous fellowship from Yale University
Joel Tanner completed both his undergraduate and masters degree at Saint Mary's University under the guidance of Prof. Ian Short and Prof. David Guenther. Joel's respective thesis projects were entitled:Isolating the circumstellar emission of Sigma Orionis E & Asteroseismology of Intermediate Mass Stars: Pre-main Sequence Evolution. Read the SMU press release here.
SMU Astronomers Make Stellar Discovery
Daniel Majaess, Kathleen Moncrieff, Prof. David Turner, and Dave Lane discovered a new nearby superluminous star responsible for illuminating a giant nebula. A writeup of the discovery can be found here.
SMU Student Nathan Deg Invited to Vatican, is a star.
Nathan Deg completed his undergraduate degree and honors thesis, Calculating Asymmetries In Electron-Proton Scattering, at Saint Mary's University under the guidance of Prof. Aleksandrs Aleksejevs. Read the SMU press release here, or the Daily News press release here.
Dave Lane wins the prestigious Discovery Center's 2007 Science Champion award
The Discovery Award's nominee video profiles can be seen here.
A Moment with Prof. David Guenther
The October 2006 issue of the RASC's Journal featured a profile of Prof. David Guenther by Phil Mozel. Prof. David Guenther is a member of the MOST science team, Canada's first space-based telescope.
Prof. David Guenther mentors students who have an interest in modelling the
pulsations of stellar objects. Prospective students are encouraged to visit his website for additional information.
Prof. David Turner on the Discovery Channel.
Prof. David Turner solves the mystery of "The Stars of St. John's." The segment aired, and continues to be shown regularly on the Discovery Channel.
Remembering Dr. William Thurlow
Dr. William Thurlow was a surgeon, environmentalist, and a great amateur astronomer who earned the distinction as THE 'Messier Marathon Champion'. After a lifetime serving society in medicine, retirement offered him the opportunity to pursue his dream of studying astronomy at the university level. The entire department were deeply saddened by his sudden passing.
SMU Astronomer discovers star singing out of tune.
Prof. David Guenther and the MOST team discovered that the vibrations of a nearby sun-like star, called eta Bootis, are out of tune in comparison to predictions from theoretical models. The CASCA press release can be read here.
Members from the Astronomy & Physics Department Excel in Teaching
Daniel Doucette & Prof. Adam Sarty Receiving Awards for Excellence in Teaching.