UNews - Department of Physics & Astronomy

New ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Canada Research Chairs at forefront of critical studies

caroline.zentner — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 16:35:05 +0000

Dr. Alex Tetarenko, an astrophysicist in the Department of Physics & Astronomy, has been named a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Black Hole Astrophysics, and Dr. Amy Mack (BA ’13, MA ’16), assistant professor in the Department of New Media, has been named a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Digital Extremism.

The recent announcement by the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, was part of $690 million invested in science and research funding across Canada. Of that amount, $198 million will support 259 new and renewed CRCs like Tetarenko and Mack.

In addition to being named Canada Research Chairs, the pair will also receive funding for infrastructure through the John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF) from the Canada Foundation for Innovation.

“This recognition reflects the high calibre of research taking place at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge,” says Dr. Dena McMartin, vice-president research. “These Canada Research Chair appointments honour the achievements of Dr. Tetarenko and Dr. Mack and illustrate ULethbridge’s commitment to advancing knowledge and understanding in a broad range of fields from astrophysics to new media.”

Dr. Alex Tetarenko studies the physics of black holes.

Tetarenko is an internationally recognized researcher in high-energy astrophysics. She has built her research program by using innovative methodologies to investigate black holes.

“My research focuses on developing creative new ways to study jets of material launched from stellar-mass black holes in our galaxy and extract vital new information about black-hole physics,” says Tetarenko. “This program will further enhance the growth of the Canadian astronomy talent pool by training postdoctoral fellows, graduate students and undergraduates, and have a wide-reaching impact in Canada and internationally.”

Tetarenko will receive $71,233 from the JELF for high-performance computing resources needed for her research lab.

Dr. Amy Mack investigates anti-democratic movements.

Mack, an internationally recognized researcher, speaker and writer in critical far-right studies and anthropology, uses an anti-fascist framework to research reactionary, anti-democratic movements. She leads several national research projects focused on the relationship between social media, disinformation and extremism. These projects explore how hate-based ideologies circulate online and manifest offine. She works closely with federal and municipal governments, frontline practitioners and communities to support efforts to counter hate, bias and extremism in southern Alberta. Her Countering Digital Extremism Lab, which provides research and skill-building opportunities for students and faculty, translates this academic knowledge into public-facing outputs that use new media technologies like podcasts, documentaries and social media campaigns.

“In an era of democratic backsliding and rising authoritarianism, we need to ensure that academic knowledge about the far right and other reactionary, anti-democratic movements is used effectively by stakeholders to disrupt radicalization and promote trust and social cohesion in our communities. This needs to be a whole-of-society approach that includes policy makers, tech companies, practitioners, educators, community advocates and the public,” says Mack.

Mack will receive $123,435 through JELF to set up her research lab.

Broad areas of research awarded federal funding

caroline.zentner — Fri, 14 Jun 2024 21:03:34 +0000

A spectrum of research projects at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge have been awarded nearly $2.6 million in federal funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)

The funding is part of $693.8 million for several NSERC research competitions recently announced on behalf of the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry.

“This investment in ULethbridge research activities speaks to the excellence and nationally competitive research we do — everything from mapping fuels for wildland fires to bee behaviour and the dynamics of black holes,” says Dr. Dena McMartin, vice-president research. “Our researchers investigate topics that impact the ways we understand the world around us and the complex influences and interconnectedness of the natural environment, agriculture and food security, and deep space phenomena.”

In addition, Dr. Monique Giroux had her Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Métis Music renewed for $500,000 through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

In all, 14 ULethbridge projects are receiving funding support from NSERC through the Discovery Grant and Discovery Development Grant programs. Among them are the following projects:

Dr. Laura Chasmer, a professor in the Department of Geography & Environment, will use novel Earth observation and geospatial data to examine how variations in vegetation ecosystems, both in space and in time, may enhance and reduce wildfires in Western Canada. The research program, which will include Indigenous land managers and knowledge keepers, will develop new ways of understanding fire hazards and recommendations for ecosystem management to lessen the impact of fire and improve the resilience of ecosystems and communities.
Dr. Sergio Pellis, Department of Neuroscience, will investigate the role of rough-and-tumble play or play-fighting in the development of cognitive and social skills in non-human mammals. Based on preliminary findings, Pellis hypothesizes that species with more complex social systems that require them to negotiate more varied relationships will have patterns of play that train youngsters for the social skills they’ll need as adults.

Discovery Grants

The funding listed for the following projects is over five years:

Dr. Theresa Burg, Biological Sciences — Evolution of High Latitude Birds ($200,000)
Dr. Shelley Hoover, Biological Sciences — Interactions between social bee behaviour and health ($190,000)
Dr. Steve Wiseman, Biological Sciences — Toxicant Induced Dysregulation of Oocyte Maturation ($235,000)
Dr. Nehal Thakor, Chemistry & Biochemistry — Regulation of mRNA Translation During Cellular Stress and Apoptosis ($200,000)
Dr. Laura Chasmer, Geography & Environment — Spatio-temporal variations in wildland fire fuel connectivity and behaviour using multi-data analytics ($275,000)
Dr. Joy Morris, Mathematics & Computer Science — Unexpected Symmetries of Graphs ($135,000)
Dr. David Euston, Neuroscience — Risk, Reinforcement Schedules, and Dopamine ($165,000)
Dr. Sergio Pellis, Neuroscience — Social play, the prefrontal cortex and the development of socio-cognitive skills ($275,000)
Dr. Alexandra Tetarenko, Physics & Astronomy — Unravelling how black holes power explosive outflows ($145,000)
Dr. Stephanus Henzi, Psychology — Contingency and Specificity in the Structure and Dynamics of Social Behaviour in Baboons and Vervet Monkeys ($235,000)
Dr. Jean-Baptiste Leca, Psychology — Mechanisms and evolution of material culture in primates: Does object play facilitate tool use? ($268,690)
Dr. Jamal Mansour, Psychology — Measuring cognitive processes that predict eyewitness identification performance ($165,000)

Discovery Development Grants

The funding listed for the following projects is over two years:

Dr. Philip Bonaventure, Geography & Environment — Climatic, geomorphic and ecosystem-driven multi-scale permafrost modelling and testing ($40,0000)
Dr. David Morris, Mathematics & Computer Science — Arithmetic groups, orderability, bounded generation and automorphisms ($40,000)

The Research Support Fund supports a portion of the costs associated with managing the research funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, such as salaries for staff who provide administration support, training costs for workplace health and safety, maintenance of libraries and laboratories, and administrative costs associated with obtaining patents for inventions.

Lethbridge will see a partial solar eclipse on Monday, April 8

caroline.zentner — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 15:52:15 +0000

Around noon on Monday, April 8, residents of Lethbridge and the surrounding area will have the opportunity to witness a partial solar eclipse, an awe-inspiring event that will captivate observers of all ages.

A solar eclipse occurs when the moon travels between an observer and the sun. In other words, an eclipse occurs when the Earth, moon and sun become aligned. Typically, a total solar eclipse is visible from somewhere on Earth every 18 months. For the upcoming April 8 event, the total solar eclipse is only visible along the eastern parts of North America. While Lethbridge will not experience a total solar eclipse, the partial phase is still an extraordinary event to see.

“We look forward to sharing this unforgettable experience with the community and fostering a deeper appreciation for the wonders of the cosmos,” says Dr. Locke Spencer, Chair of the Department of Physics & Astronomy at ULethbridge.

For observers in the Lethbridge area, the eclipse will start just after 11:45 a.m., reach its maximum at 12:43 p.m. and end at 1:41 p.m. At its peak, just over 30 per cent of the sun’s area will be blocked by the moon (that’s about four per cent more eclipse than Calgary), creating a breathtaking celestial display, says Spencer.

To celebrate this cosmic occurrence, the Lethbridge Astronomy Society is hosting an observing event for the public. Participation is free, but space is limited and advanced registration is required. If the sky is overcast, they will stream footage from somewhere with good viewing conditions. Details are available on the Lethbridge Astronomy Society website and Facebook pages.

Safety is of paramount importance when observing a solar eclipse. Looking directly at the sun without proper eye protection can cause permanent eye damage. Therefore, Spencer says their department emphasizes using approved solar viewing glasses and other safe viewing methods to ensure a memorable and secure experience for all attendees. Resources for safe eclipse viewing are available at NASA.

“Whether you're a seasoned stargazer or someone experiencing the wonders of the cosmos for the first time, we encourage you to make some time to witness this event,” says Spencer. “There are plenty of ways to safely observe an eclipse using supplies from your own home including making a pinhole projector or even using a spaghetti colander.”

Radio and X-ray telescopes spot giant explosions launching matter into space from neutron stars

trevor.kenney — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 15:50:32 +0000

An international team of astronomers, including ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge astrophysicist Dr. Alex Tetarenko, have performed a unique experiment probing astrophysical jets being expelled into space at nearly the speed of light. The material and energy in these jets was liberated when huge explosions occurred on the surface of a celestial object called a neutron star.

A concept drawing of the explosion occurring on the surface of a neutron star.

Jets are a common astrophysical phenomenon produced by many different objects but studying them is often very difficult because these streams of matter are too far away from Earth to directly track material moving along the jet flow in real time.

“To get around this problem, we came up with an experiment involving neutron star systems to open up a new avenue of investigation on these jets,” explains Tetarenko.

Neutron stars are super-compact stellar corpses. When located in orbit with another star, the neutron star’s intense gravitational field can end up pulling material off its companion. Part of this accreted matter is then ejected out into jets that race away along the neutron star’s rotation axis, while the rest spirals down onto the neutron star surface. As more and more material rains down onto the neutron star, the gravitational field compresses it until a runaway nuclear explosion is initiated. This creates a cataclysmic thermonuclear blast known as a type-I X-ray burst.

The researchers collected radio emissions in April and October 2021 using CSIRO’s Australia Telescope Compact Array in Australia.

To date, these bursts have been seen from hundreds of different neutron star systems and can occur as regularly as every few hours. Tetarenko and her team reasoned that in these systems, the sudden liberation of matter and energy from the surface of the neutron star during these bursts would affect the jet, and they could measure this disturbance as it propagated outwards.

“We have a very brief short-lived impulse of extra material that gets shot into the jet and that we can track as it moves down the jet to learn about its speed,” says Dr. Thomas Russell, lead author on the publication from the National Institute for Astrophysics in Italy.

“This is a particularly crucial measurement, as the jet speed in these neutron star systems can reveal whether the jet is powered by magnetic fields anchored in the accreting material or in the star itself,” explains Tetarenko.

While the explosions on the surface of the neutron star were visible in X-ray light, the jet only emits in radio light. Therefore, Tetarenko and her team needed to coordinate radio telescope observations on the ground to take place simultaneously with X-ray telescope observations in space.

“These bursts reoccur every couple of hours, but you can't predict exactly when they will happen. So, you have to stare at the system for a long time with these two telescopes and hope you catch a couple of bursts,” says co-author Dr. Jakob van den Eijnden, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Warwick, UK.

The team’s radio observations were taken over a three-day period with the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) , while X-ray observations were taken with the INTEGRAL Satellite. At the end of the observations, INTEGRAL had captured 14 X-ray bursts from the neutron star 4U 1728-34, of which 10 occurred when the source was visible in radio light to the ATCA.

“We originally thought that the explosion on the surface of the neutron star would destroy the location where the jet was being launched. But we saw exactly the opposite: a strong input into the jet rather than a disruption,” says co-author Prof. Nathalie Degenaar, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Being able to follow the injected extra matter down the jet in radio light allowed Tetarenko to apply her custom computational modeling techniques to accurately calculate the speed of the material being launched down the jet, finding a value nearly 40 per cent the speed of light!

“Never before have we been able to anticipate and directly watch how a certain amount of gas got channeled into a jet and accelerated into space,” says Dr. Erik Kuulkers, project scientist at INTEGRAL and co-author on the paper.

Having now proved that this is possible and appears to be common in bursting neutron stars, the technique will allow astronomers to study many more of these objects. These future studies will connect the launching of jets to specific properties of neutron stars (such as its rotation rate and the amount of gas falling onto it), which is one of the most pressing questions about how astrophysical jets work.

“The impact of our work will extend far beyond neutron stars,” explains Tetarenko.

Jets play an important role throughout the universe, from transporting exotic elements synthesised in cosmic explosions into interstellar space, to heating surrounding gas clouds that will alter how and where new stars can form. As all astrophysical jets are thought to be launched in similar ways, the team’s new results will have wide applicability across the cosmos.

The results were published in the journal Nature today, Thermonuclear explosions on neutron stars reveal the speed and feeding of their jets.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers secure support through Alberta’s Major Innovation Fund

caroline.zentner — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 17:13:11 +0000

From using robotic systems in health-care delivery and building on quantum technologies to adapting highly sensitive space instruments to space and defence applications, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers are involved in a host of projects receiving grants through Alberta’s Major Innovation Fund.

The Honourable Nate Glubish, Minister of Technology and Innovation, announced today an investment of $27.3 million into innovative research in Alberta’s post-secondary institutions. The funding is designed to accelerate research and commercialization in medical devices, electronic and mobile health, clean energy and space and defence technologies. The funding goes to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta (U of A) and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary (U of C) to lead four province-wide strategic initiatives. ULethbridge and Athabasca ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ are partners in the projects.

“Supporting fundamental research and initiatives that commercialize new technologies is critical to strengthening and diversifying the Alberta economy,” says Dr. Dena McMartin, ULethbridge vice-president (research). “This investment will encourage new and traditional sectors to grow, improving the economic prospects and quality of life for all Albertans.”

Led by the U of C under the Space and Defence Technologies theme, Drs. David Naylor and Locke Spencer, professors in the Department of Physics & Astronomy, will be involved in migrating the technologies developed by the Astronomical Instrumentation Group (AIG) at ULethbridge. Advances made by the AIG resulted in the most sensitive instruments to be deployed in space.

“The announcement of the Major Innovation Fund for the Space and Defence Technologies theme is reflective of our increasingly more complex world,” says Naylor. “The MIF funding will allow us to migrate the technologies in which we are recognized as world leaders and develop them to meet the broader needs of the space and defence community.”

Another project led by the U of C is centred on quantum technology innovations and ULethbridge’s Dr. Saurya Das, a professor in the physics and astronomy department, is one of nine principal investigators.

“The second quantum revolution is on, which will change the way one thinks of computers and computation and will revolutionize communication and commerce,” he says. “Alberta researchers are key players in this, and their research will help diversify Alberta’s economy, create jobs, develop made-in-Alberta quantum technology, and make it accessible to end users in Alberta and beyond. ULethbridge researchers have been working on problems in Quantum Computation and Quantum Sensing and have made significant contributions to the project. In the process, they have published papers in top-rated international journals and trained students and postdocs.”

Dr. Matthew Tata, a professor at the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, is the ULethbridge lead for a U of A-led project. A-MEDICO is a pan-Alberta network of researchers, industry and health-care professionals working on medical technologies for broad applications, especially for underserved populations. Tata was previously involved in a MIF project that focused on medical robotics, image-guided surgery and machine intelligence-based solutions for medicine.

“In both of these projects, my team is focused on applying state-of-the-art machine learning techniques for audio processing,” says Tata. “We have been developing audio AI for human-robot interaction in health care and industrial scenarios.”

PUBlic Professor Series talk delves into the mysteries of the Universe

trevor.kenney — Mon, 21 Nov 2022 17:13:47 +0000

Humankind has always wondered about the fundamental contents, evolution and fate of our Universe. Fortunately, observations over the last couple of decades have provided us with many of the answers, namely that it was very small in the past, it is expanding at an accelerating rate now and that 95 per cent of its contents are dark, i.e. cannot be observed directly. Yet important questions remain.

Dr. Saurya Das of the Department of Physics & Astronomy.

On Thursday, November 24, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge physics and astronomy professor, Dr. Saurya Das, will present Our Universe: its beginning, flow and end as the latest instalment of the PUBlic Professor Series. The free event runs from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Sandman Signature Lethbridge Lodge and is open to the public.

In this talk, Das will explain what is known about our Universe and present some new ideas to address the unknowns.

Das received his BSc in physics from Presidency ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, Kolkata, India and his PhD in theoretical physics from The Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai, India in 1998. He joined the Department of Physics & Astronomy at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge in 2003. His group was one of the first to compute universal corrections to certain black hole observables and to show that quantum gravity effects should be present and potentially detectable in practically all quantum systems. Das has published over 130 research articles in international journals and co-authored a book on symmetry, relativity and quantum mechanics. His research has been continuously funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and other sources.

Learn more, visit: ulethbridge.ca/artsci/pps-das

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers successful in securing NSERC funding support

trevor.kenney — Thu, 23 Jun 2022 16:23:37 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers from the Departments of Mathematics & Computer Science, Chemistry & Biochemistry, and Physics & Astronomy were awarded grants totalling more than $277,000 as the Government of Canada announced funding awards through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

Today, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry, along with the Honourable Mona Fortier, President of the Treasury Board, announced funding of more than $506 million — an investment in the world’s brightest minds to increase the impact of science, technology and innovation in Canada.

“Discovery is the foundation of all advancements. Through this major investment in some of Canada’s most promising and innovative researchers we are supporting scientists and students to become global leaders in their field,” says Champagne. “By helping to expand the frontiers of science, we are investing in a better society and a brighter future for Canadians.”

Researchers from across the country are receiving the funding to continue to lead world-class research programs in a wide variety of natural sciences and engineering disciplines. These include research programs focused on climate change, chemistry, biology, mathematics and statistics, computer science and artificial intelligence, and engineering.

Dr. Dena McMartin, ULethbridge vice-president (research), says the continued success of applicants from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ is indicative of the innovative environment nurtured by faculty.

“When you have world-class faculty dedicated to their craft, and dedicated to their students and discovery, it fuels their own research programs and inspires colleagues to push for these funding opportunities as well,” says McMartin. “The success of these researchers continues to advance the reputation of their programs within their respective fields and opens up even greater opportunities for their students, trainees and further innovation down the road.”

The following programs are receiving NSERC funding:

Dr. Yllias Chali, Mathematics & Computer Science, Text Summarization and Question Generation Models — $24,000 (5 years)

Dr. Michael Gerken, Chemistry & Biochemistry, Donor-Stabilized Fluorido Cations and New Tungsten-Based Weakly Coordinating Anions — $62,000 (5 years)

Dr. Jean-Denys Hamel, Chemistry & Biochemistry, New Catalytic Methodologies for the Synthesis of Organofluorine Compounds — $25,000 (5 years)

Dr. Jean-Denys Hamel, Chemistry & Biochemistry, New Catalytic Methodologies for the Synthesis of Organofluorine Compounds — $12,500 (1 year)

Dr. Trushar Patel, Chemistry & Biochemistry, Understanding Communications Between Viral RNAs and Human Proteins — $40,000 (5 years)

Dr. Marc Roussel and Dr. Stacey Wetmore, Chemistry & Biochemistry, Critical Renewal of an Obsolete Computational Biochemistry Suite at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge — $90,050 (1 year)

Dr. Mark Walton, Physics & Astronomy, Phase space Quantum Mechanics and the Quantum-Classical Relation — $24,000 (5 years)

Canadian Space Agency grant to help develop next generation of space scientists

caroline.zentner — Fri, 29 Apr 2022 19:23:50 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge has received a $100,000 grant from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) to train the next generation of space scientists in the development of a cryogenic post-dispersed polarizing Fourier transform spectrometer (PDPFTS). ULethbridge is one of 21 post-secondary institutions in the country to receive a grant through the CSA’s Flights and Fieldwork for the Advancement of Science and Technology (FAST) funding initiative.

The grants support the development of space technology by providing students and young researchers with hands-on experience. Projects must simulate a realistic space environment.

“We are very pleased to receive this grant,” says Dr. David Naylor, physics and astronomy professor and head of the Astronomical Instrumentation Group (AIG) at ULethbridge. “The next generation of far-infrared (FIR) space astronomy missions will employ detectors whose sensitivity is over two orders of magnitude higher than any previously flown. To exploit this exquisite sensitivity requires a fundamentally different type of instrument architecture.”

The main objectives of this project are to develop the world’s first cryogenic PDPFTS and to investigate the challenges associated with this concept under realistic space conditions. This new type of spectrometer has been identified by the world’s leading space agencies (ESA, JAXA, NASA) as a necessary next step to explore both galaxy evolution in the farthest reaches of our universe and star and planet formation in our own galaxy.

“Simply put, in order to achieve the potential 100-fold increase in sensitivity provided by state-of-the-art detectors requires the instrument be characterized to a correspondingly greater degree,” says Naylor.

Issues that did not have to be considered on previous missions will become important and perhaps even dominant. These issues must first be identified before they can be mitigated.

The project builds on a lengthy heritage of Canadian participation in infrared space astronomy missions. It will lead to a greater understanding of the PDPFTS concept, which will serve to reduce future mission risk and cost. It will continue to train highly qualified personnel in high-tech fields associated with space-exploration missions.

“The exemplary training environment provided by our group — five former trainees currently work in the space sector including NASA, SRON and Space-X — together with the more than $2 million in external funding that has been attracted to ULethbridge in support of the PDPFTS concept were important considerations in the CSA’s decision,” he says. “The FAST grant will help us continue to train ULethbridge students for high-tech positions in space industries not only in Canada but around the world.”

Graduate student Alicia Anderson earns world renowned Gates Cambridge Scholarship to study at Trinity College

trevor.kenney — Thu, 28 Apr 2022 19:19:12 +0000

Alicia Anderson (BSc ’20) has always aimed high — her study of astrophysics can attest to that — and she’s now earned one of the highest honours in academia. Anderson has been awarded a Gates Cambridge Scholarship, which will see her study her PhD at Trinity College on the grounds of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Cambridge (United Kingdom) beginning this fall.

“It’s a major success,” says Dr. David Naylor, physics and astronomy professor, Board of Governors’ Research Chair and head of the Astronomical Instrumentation Group (AIG) at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. “This is about flat-out excellence. You basically have the best talent on the planet going after this award and she won it.”

Alicia Anderson, right, pictured with Dr. David Naylor, will head to Cambridge in October to work in the exoplanet research centre.

Established in 2000 with a $210-million gift from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to support graduate students’ study, it is considered one of the most competitive and prestigious scholarships in the world. Since the first class in 2001, Gates Cambridge has awarded 2,081 scholarships to scholars from 111 countries who represent more than 600 universities globally, and more than 80 academic departments and all 31 colleges at Cambridge.

Anderson is one of 79 new Gates Cambridge Scholars from 30 countries, including just two other Canadians. Over the 22-year history of the award, just one other Canadian physicist has earned a Gates Cambridge Scholarship, while three others have studied astronomy.

“As a 17-year-old, when I first came to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, I hadn’t really planned on any of this,” says Anderson, who completed her bachelor of science with great distinction in 2020 and just recently successfully defended her master’s thesis. “You start by making connections with professors and I’ve been lucky to have really passionate professors teaching me undergraduate physics and inspiring me to join a research group and take it to the next level. I really owe it all to my department and all the professors who have taught me.”

Naylor and his colleagues recognized early Anderson’s potential. Once she turned her focus to space and the AIG group in her third year of studies, she flourished. Upon earning her undergraduate degree, she jumped at the chance to enrol as a master’s student and work on what promised to be the next great infrared space mission — the European Space Agency’s (ESA) SPICA, a far infrared space observatory scheduled to launch in 2030. Unfortunately, midway through her master’s work, ESA chose not to pursue SPICA and the global pandemic hit.

“It was tough for her because her entire thesis was under the umbrella of a pandemic,” says Naylor. “She wasn’t able to travel to conferences and make the connections you normally do as a graduate student. So, when I could see that SPICA was no longer an option, I promised we’d get her a position for her PhD.”

Like all Naylor’s graduate students, Anderson’s research has been generously supported by industrial partner Blue Sky Spectroscopy Inc. to the tune of $1.1 million, without which she would not have been able to take on her thesis project. With Blue Sky’s support, Naylor was able to send Anderson to Cambridge to work with one of his colleagues, professor Stafford Withington. As head of the Quantum Sensors Group, Withington is a world-leading physicist and one of the most respected scholars on campus. Anderson not only impressed Withington over the course of her six-week stay, she learned something about herself as well.

“I had this image of Cambridge in my mind where it was this place I could never fit into because I was used to such a small university,” she says. “But being there for six weeks, I felt right at home. It was a research lab, just like I’d worked at in Lethbridge for five years.”

When word got out that Anderson was seeking a PhD position, interested schools lined up. McGill, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of British Columbia and others made substantial offers but with her eyes now wide open to the opportunities before her, she applied for the Gates Scholarship.

“When I interviewed with my supervisor, who had won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2019, he told me I was one of the best-prepared students he’d ever seen and that my background was the highest calibre of any of the applications this year. It just speaks to the training and the incredible projects I’d worked on with David and Blue Sky and how it had prepared me for this.”

Anderson will head to Cambridge in October to work in the exoplanet research centre where she will focus her attention on planets that exist outside our solar system but orbit around other stars within the Milky Way Galaxy.

“The newest technology in exoplanet astronomy will allow astronomers to observe Earth-like planets that are orbiting around stars like our sun. The ultimate goal is to identify potentially habitable exoplanets,” says Anderson, noting her supervisor just received a £10-million grant to answer what makes an exoplanet habitable. “Ground-based observatories, like the one I will work on in my PhD, will locate these exoplanets so that future missions can follow up and study them in more detail.”

For Naylor, who predicted two years ago Anderson would be following the footsteps of his most accomplished graduates, to see her destined for the Cambridge program is gratifying on many levels.

“Life is a series of lessons learned and our role as educators is to help students climb the knowledge ladder,” he says. “In my own case, I had a physics teacher at grammar school who had a major impact on my career path. Over the last 41 years at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, I have mentored dozens of students — seven are now professors, three hold research chairs, four others work at various space agencies (NASA Ames, JPL, SRON, Space-X), and another built the motor that operates the drill on NASA’s Insight lander that sits on the surface of Mars. While Alicia is the latest member of our family, and I will take great pride in seeing where she goes and visiting her while she’s at Trinity, I’m proud of them all.”

Lethbridge Regional Science Fair stays virtual for 2021

caroline.zentner — Fri, 12 Mar 2021 17:42:14 +0000

The Southern Alberta Technology Council (SATC), which has organized the Lethbridge Regional Science Fair and Science Olympics since 2002, is going ahead with a virtual platform for the 2021 Regional Science Fair event.

SATC is now accepting video submissions of student projects from kindergarten to Grade 12 until Monday, March 22 (see www.satclethbridge.ca). Virtual project judging will take place from March 23 to 30, and a live-streamed awards ceremony will take place on March 31. An online public showcase of the projects will be hosted following project evaluations.

This format allows students, judges, and the public to follow social restrictions while celebrating the work these students have done.

“We are excited to bring this event to the community this year within the current public health protocols,” says Dr. Locke Spencer, SATC President and Canada Research Chair in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. “We had a very successful virtual event in 2020 and look forward to building on that in 2021.”

Top projects at our regional fair will go on to the national science fair. Youth Science Canada (YSC), the parent organization of the Canada-Wide Science Fair (CWSF), is hosting the virtual CWSF from May 17 to 21.

Kelly Oikawa, SATC Board member and Lethbridge College Instructor, was key in developing plans for our virtual event.

“For many of our participants, the science fair is something they look forward to each year,” says Oikawa, who represents Lethbridge College within SATC. “These young scientists are our future and we want to help set an example of how to move forward, adapt, and problem solve in an ever-changing and complex world. Today's youth could use a message of being positive, innovative, and dealing with challenges.”

To host the Lethbridge Regional Science Fair, SATC is sponsored by the City of Lethbridge, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, Lethbridge College, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Quantum Alberta, and many other local and regional sponsors. Information about this year’s event, the SATC organization, and its sponsors is available at www.satclethbridge.ca.

UNews - Department of Physics & Astronomy

New ��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Canada Research Chairs at forefront of critical studies

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Broad areas of research awarded federal funding

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Lethbridge will see a partial solar eclipse on Monday, April 8

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Radio and X-ray telescopes spot giant explosions launching matter into space from neutron stars

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��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers secure support through Alberta’s Major Innovation Fund

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PUBlic Professor Series talk delves into the mysteries of the Universe

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��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers successful in securing NSERC funding support

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Canadian Space Agency grant to help develop next generation of space scientists

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Graduate student Alicia Anderson earns world renowned Gates Cambridge Scholarship to study at Trinity College

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Lethbridge Regional Science Fair stays virtual for 2021

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New ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Canada Research Chairs at forefront of critical studies

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers secure support through Alberta’s Major Innovation Fund

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers successful in securing NSERC funding support