UNews - Department of Physics and Astronomy

U of L researchers awarded more than $1.8 million in NSERC funding

caroline.zentner — Mon, 22 Jul 2019 16:47:48 +0000

Eleven ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers have been awarded Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Discovery Grants worth approximately $1.8 million, payable in instalments of anywhere from one to five years.

“��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers were very successful this year, with 11 out of 14 applications being awarded funding,” says Dr. Erasmus Okine, U of L vice-president (Research). “This funding of almost $2 million demonstrates the calibre of research our scientists are engaged in and I congratulate each one of them.”

Dr. Gerlinde Metz, a neuroscience professor, received the U of L’s largest grant worth a total of $510,000. She and her research team will continue exploring early life stress and its effects on brain plasticity. They’ll examine how early life stress alters brain development, connections between neurons, and behaviour. They’ll also look at whether factors such as age and sex determine the response to early life stress and whether early life stress affects subsequent generations.

Dr. Theresa Burg, a biology professor, studies how the evolution of high-latitude species is linked to historical and present-day environmental changes. Examining how landscape features and past climate changes have shaped today’s populations can further the understanding of population dynamics and help predict how these species might respond to future climate change.

Dr. Dmytro Yevtushenko, a professor in the Department of Biology and Research Chair in Potato Science, was awarded an early career researcher supplement in addition to a Discovery Grant. Yevtushenko will conduct research into the natural defense mechanisms of potato plants. His work could lead to higher crop yields, less crop loss, increased food safety and could help point the way to improving disease resistance in other crops.

Dr. Borries Demeler, Canada 150 Research Chair and a professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, is a leading biophysics scientist with expertise in analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC). AUC is used to analyze molecules in solution. He has established the Canadian Center for Hydrodynamics, which is equipped with three unique AUC instruments to accelerate biophysical research in Canada. He hopes to develop new analysis protocols and software tools that will benefit basic research in biochemistry, physics and material science.

Other U of L researchers who received grants include Dr. Jon Doan (kinesiology and physical education), Dr. Stewart Rood (biology), Dr. Lawrence Flanagan (biology), Dr. Anthony Russell (biology), Dr. Hadi Kharaghani (mathematics and computer science), Dr. Matthew Tata (neuroscience) and Dr. Saurya Das (physics and astronomy).

U of L grad student presents at prestigious photonics conference

caroline.zentner — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 18:06:03 +0000

Only in the second semester of his master’s program with ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge astrophysicist Dr. David Naylor, Adam Christiansen was selected to present at SPIE Photonics West, the world’s largest photonics innovation conference.

Adam Christiansen is working on a laser-interferometer that can withstand the space environment. The U of L's cryogenic test facility shown in the photo replicates a space environment as closely as possible.

“I was excited when I found out I’d been chosen to present,” says Christiansen. “It was nice to know that I was at least doing something that other people considered to be on the right track and worthy of a presentation. I was nervous because everybody there knows a lot, but it ended up going quite well.”

Photonics is the science of light generation, detection and manipulation, commonly involving the application of lasers and fibre optics. Popular photonics research areas include telecommunications, medicine, military and defence, manufacturing and aerospace.

“After four-plus months into his program, it’s exceptional to win a coveted oral spot at this conference,” says Naylor. “Most student presentations are given as posters and Adam was the only student to give a talk in his session.”

In addition, SPIE (Society of Photographic Instrumentation Engineers) awarded Christiansen with an MKS Instruments Research Excellence Travel Award, a grant that allowed him to attend the recent conference in San Francisco.

The conference draws about 25,000 attendees from all over the world. In addition to technology exhibits that feature the latest in lasers, optics and electronics, participants attend scientific sessions on topics ranging from physics to neuroscience.

Christiansen, a Lethbridge-born, Chinook High School graduate who completed an undergraduate degree in computer and software engineering at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta, is working on a component of SAFARI, a far infrared spectrometer and the largest instrument on SPICA (Space Infrared Telescope for Cosmology and Astrophysics). SPICA, a satellite that will help scientists understand how galaxies form and evolve, is one of three finalists in the European Space Agency’s M5 call for mission proposals.

The SPICA/SAFARI mission is being led by SRON, the Netherlands Institute for Space Research, in partnership with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). As a CSA lab, the U of L’s astrophysics lab is a unique facility in Canada that is contributing to and doing testing for SAFARI.

Adam Christiansen, centre back row, was one of a group of students who received MKS awards.

“My research focuses on a subsystem of SAFARI that involves the precise measurement and control of its moving mirror,” says Christiansen. “The challenge with this is that you need to be able to do it in space under cryogenic temperatures, that is 4 Kelvin (–269 C). This kind of thing has been done before in the laboratory but it’s not as straightforward in space.”

The U of L’s cryogenic test facility attempts to replicate the space environment as closely as possible, including the temperature, vacuum environment and realistic vibrations that would be experienced on a spacecraft.

“There have been plenty of previous space missions like this that have had to do this kind of measurement and control and they used various types of sensors to do that—resistive, capacitive and inductive, for example,” says Christiansen. “But never before has a laser-interferometer system like the one that we’re proposing been used in a space application. So, we’re trying to show that this system would be beneficial to use in space, that it’s well suited and can meet the requirements.”

Two U of L professors receive renewed Canada Research Chair funding

caroline.zentner — Wed, 14 Nov 2018 21:35:01 +0000

Dr. Kristine Alexander, a ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge history professor, and Dr. Locke Spencer (MSc ’05, PhD ’09), a U of L experimental astrophysicist, will continue their leading-edge research with the renewal of their Tier 2 Canada Research Chair funding.

The renewals were part of a recent announcement, made by the Honourable Kirsty Duncan, minister of science and sport, about significant investments in the Canada Research Chairs Program to attract and retain some of the world’s most promising researchers. In addition to providing more than $156 million for 187 new and renewed chairs from the most recent competition, Duncan announced an investment of $210 million over the next five years to add 285 new chairs. The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) is also providing $6.8 million in new funding for research infrastructure for 28 chairs at 18 institutions.

"Our government is committed to promoting equity and diversity within research and to supporting the next generation of research leaders,” says Duncan. “These prestigious Canada Research Chairs are improving the lives of Canadians and pushing the boundaries of human knowledge, helping ensure a bright future for Canada.”

The renewal of $500,000 over five years for Spencer will allow him to continue to advance far-infrared instrumentation for upcoming space missions. He will be directly involved in the development of the Canadian contribution to the European/Japanese Space Infrared telescope for Cosmology and Astrophysics (SPICA). The funding is accompanied by $150,000 from the CFI’s John R. Evans Leaders Fund to develop astrophysical instrumentation to explore the universe’s far-infrared region.

“I am very excited that this renewal of my research chair has taken place at this time as we prepare to move to the new Science and Academic Building,” says Spencer. “I am very grateful to my colleagues in Arts & Science, Physics and Astronomy, and Dr. David Naylor's Astronomical Instrumentation Group in particular, for their support and encouragement. I am incredibly grateful to the variety of students who have been (and remain) along for the ride and have helped to explore this space.”

Alexander’s research chair renewal of $500,000 over five years enables her to continue conducting historical research looking at the effects of colonialism, imperialism and armed conflict on children and adolescents. She uses interpretive methods from across the social sciences and humanities to better understand how the lives of young people have been shaped by warfare, colonialism and material inequalities tied to gender, geography, ability, class and race.

“I’m thrilled that my renewal application has been approved, and I appreciate the support I continue to receive from my colleagues and students at the U of L,” says Alexander.

The funding allows Alexander to continue to ask important questions about young people, colonialism and war, while providing research and training opportunities for U of L students through the interdisciplinary Institute for Child and Youth Studies. She is currently working on multiple books about young people, globalization and war, and is organizing a workshop about global histories of youth to be held in Lethbridge in July, 2019. The workshop will feature cutting-edge research by U of L graduate students and scholars from around the world.

SPICA mission, with major ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge contribution, one step closer to reality

caroline.zentner — Tue, 08 May 2018 18:18:30 +0000

SPICA, the joint mission between the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) to observe the infrared with super sensitive instruments, was named one of three finalists in ESA’s M5 call for mission proposals on Monday, May 7.

“I am impressed about the quality and breadth of the missions proposed for M5. Each of the selected proposals has high scientific value and would ensure a continuation of Europe’s expertise in the fields of planetary science, astrophysics and cosmology,” says Günther Hasinger, ESA Director of Science.

That’s good news for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, which is the lead Canadian institution in the mission, and astrophysicist Dr. David Naylor, who has been involved in the project from its beginning nine years ago.

“We are extremely pleased that SPICA has been named one of the three finalists,” says Naylor. “We felt we had a very strong proposal with a team composed of scientists from all of the three instruments that flew on Herschel. While this decision is not the final goal, it’s a monumental milestone.”

“This is fantastic news for David and his team at the Institute for Space Imaging Science (ISIS),” says Dr. Erasmus Okine, vice-president (research). “The U of L’s involvement in this project demonstrates the strength of our research programs and will provide tremendous opportunities for our students.”

Building on the success of Herschel, the Space Infrared Telescope for Cosmology and Astrophysics (SPICA) will feature a 3-metre class telescope cooled to less than 8 Kelvin (–265 Celsius) by the use of mechanical coolers. SPICA’s large, cold aperture will provide increased sensitivity in observations at mid- and far-Infrared wavelengths.

While advancements have been made in understanding how the first galaxies and stars formed, the picture is incomplete because the birth of stars, galaxies and planets occurs in areas hidden behind a thick blanket of dust. This dust can be penetrated by infrared spectrometers like SAFARI, which, given the support of the Canadian Space Agency, is the instrument Naylor and his team at ISIS will help to build.

“Most people do not appreciate the time scale of space projects,” says Naylor. “Typically, a space exploration mission will last two decades from cradle to grave and involve hundreds of talented scientists and engineers from many countries and institutions. To be invited to join such exploration missions, one has to bring something unique to the table. In the case of SAFARI, it is Canada’s renowned expertise in Fourier transform spectroscopy that exists both in academia and industry. My group has been continually funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) for more than 36 years and this allowed us to do the basic research to address the challenges of launching and operating a spectrometer in space. We are proud to lead Canada into this exciting mission.”

SPICA, led by Dr. Peter Roelfsema of SRON, the Netherlands Institute for Space Research, is expected to launch toward the end of the next decade, around 2028. Almost 20 institutes from 15 countries are participating, each bringing its own expertise and experience. The United States, United Kingdom, Spain and Canada are major contributors. After launching, SPICA will make its way to the L2 Lagrange point, a parking spot in space a million miles away from Earth in the opposite direction of the sun, where it will slip into orbit and get a clear view of deep space. The SPICA mission will have a five-year lifespan.

“Our understanding of the universe is fundamentally going to change,” says Naylor. “Herschel provided our first large scale view of the processes at play in star formation, but these were restricted to our own galaxy, the Milky Way. Since Herschel was launched, advances in detector sensitivity have continued unabated and we now have detectors that are 100 times more sensitive. This sensitivity will allow us to explore a volume of the universe 1,000 times larger. This is a disruptive advance and is the primary reason ESA selected the SPICA mission.”

Because it takes time for light to travel to Earth, astrophysicists want to look as far as possible into space to see the universe as it was in its youth. Since the majority of the light emitted in the universe is detected in the infrared range, a high-resolution spectrometer is required.

“SPICA will provide astronomers access with unfettered access to the mid- and far-infrared spectrum and help answer fundamental questions about the origins of planets, stars and galaxies throughout cosmic time. This is a uniquely human endeavour — to understand the universe and our place in it,” says Naylor.

More information on the SPICA mission is available on the ISIS website.

World-leading research scientist recruited through Canada 150 Research Chairs program

trevor.kenney — Thu, 29 Mar 2018 15:06:37 +0000

One of the world’s leading biophysics scientists is coming to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge as part of the Canada 150 Research Chairs program.

Dr. Borries Demeler, a world-renowned expert on analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC), is one of 24 scientists receiving funding under the Canada 150 Research Chairs program. The Federal Government invested $117.6 million in Budget 2017 to this one-time program designed to attract the world’s most talented researchers and scholars to Canada.

Dr. Borries Demeler will bring his expertise in analytical ultracentrifugation to campus beginning Aug. 1, 2018.

“It is a privilege to celebrate our new Canada 150 Research Chairs, whose contributions to research will help support a stronger economy and a growing middle class. Their arrival also represents a brain gain for our country; a country that is earning its reputation for being open, diverse and welcoming to the scientists and strivers of the world,” says The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, who announced the latest group of Canada 150 Research Chairs at a morning reception in Ottawa.

Demeler, a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio (UTHSCSA), will receive $350,000 per year for seven years to bring his sophisticated analytical lab to Lethbridge. The U of L is the only Alberta university to receive funding for a Canada 150 Research Chair, and Demeler will begin his contract with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ on Aug. 1, 2018.

“This truly promises to be one of the most impactful additions we’ve made to our faculty,” says Dr. Erasmus Okine, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s vice-president (research). “Scientists of his calibre are rarely available, and the opportunities his research program will create here at the U of L and for Canadian researchers in general are incredible. We’re very fortunate to be part of the Canada 150 Research Chairs program and are thrilled to welcome Dr. Demeler to southern Alberta.”

Demeler’s work is in the field of hydrodynamics, specifically focused on software and hardware developments in analytical ultracentrifugation and computational biophysics. The impact of his multidisciplinary research program is reflected in over 300 national and international research collaborations his group has engaged in over the past six years. He has led the development of advanced high-performance computing platforms involving parallel supercomputing and cloud-based Science Gateways, an infrastructure that is now implemented worldwide with servers in the United States, Germany, India and Australia. Moreover, his work is critical for the quality control and mechanistic studies of next-generation therapeutics for many diseases impacting the lives of Canadians.

“Simply put, he is one of the foremost leaders in developing tools that allow very accurate and robust studies of therapeutic proteins, antibodies and other molecules,” says Dr. Trushar Patel, a researcher and professor in the U of L’s Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry. “Researchers here who are studying molecules that are linked with diseases such as cancer and bacterial and viral infections are excited that Dr. Demeler is joining the U of L. His relocation to Lethbridge will strengthen our position in biophysical research on a global scale and foster collaborations resulting in high-impact publications and the training of next-generation researchers with highly sought-after techniques for the biopharmaceutical industry.”

Moving his research lab to Canada is a homecoming of sorts for Demeler who, after moving to the U.S. from his native Germany as a teen, earned his Bachelor of Science from ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Montana in Missoula. He then moved to Oregon where he earned a PhD in biochemistry and biophysics at Oregon State ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. He’s spent the last 24 years at UTHSCSA.

“During my undergraduate time, I fell in love with Montana, especially the Rocky Mountain front, and built many lifelong friendships, in particular with members of the Montana Blackfeet tribe just across the border from Lethbridge,” says Demeler. “I always longed to return to this part of the world and established a second home in Western Montana to enable frequent visits. The right professional opportunities never materialized to allow a permanent move back to this region – until now.”

Demeler’s passion for science outreach activities, working with minority populations and the interdisciplinary nature of his research program are particularly well aligned with the U of L mission.

“I believe in the importance of engaging students from a young age and I always found it very rewarding to recruit high school students from the San Antonio area for summer internships in my laboratory and open their minds to the world of biophysics, hydrodynamics and computational sciences,” he says. “I also hope to continue to be able to recruit students from minority pools, in particular from the local Blackfeet Nation, among whom I have many friends, stemming from my time at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Montana and while serving in the American Indian Science and Engineering Society.”

His lab, known as the Center for Analytical Ultracentrifugation of Macromolecular Assemblies (CAUMA), will essentially establish a hydrodynamic research centre at the U of L, expanding this important method of research to new research groups throughout the country. He plans to set up a regional biophysics alliance with investigators at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Montana and share instrumentation, expertise and teaching between the two schools.

Demeler is also excited about the collaborative opportunities with on-campus groups such as the Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute (ARRTI), the Department of Physics and Astronomy and possibly the Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience (CCBN).

“I am intrigued by the possibilities of working at a liberal arts institution where an inclusive and progressive climate is encouraged,” he says.

Physics students shine at CAP annual congress

trevor.kenney — Thu, 16 Jul 2015 19:55:22 +0000

A pair of ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge physics students managed impressive results at the Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP) annual congress that took place in Edmonton in June. Matthew Robbins (BSc ’15) and Jeremy Scott (BSc ’15) each won second place in their categories for student oral presentation and student poster presentation respectively.

“Both students presented undergraduate research at the national level and managed to beat students, some of which were graduate students, from the country’s largest schools,” says U of L physics and astronomy professor Dr. Locke Spencer. “This speaks very highly both to the quality of the students, and to that of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s physics research programs.”

Jeremy Scott (BSc ’15, left) and Matthew Robbins (BSc ’15) each won second place in their categories for student poster presentation and student oral presentation respectively.

Robbins (a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Undergraduate Student Research Award winner studying under Drs. Saurya Das and Mark Walton) received second place in his division for his oral presentation, Modifications of Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle Motivated by Quantum Gravity. He was competing in the Theoretical Physics Division against undergraduate and graduate students across Canada.

“As it is currently not possible to access the natural energy scale of quantum gravity (the Planck scale), it is important to look for low-energy effects,” says Robbins, summarizing his presentation. “One such avenue of approach is by studying the corrections to the Schrödinger equation via the Generalized Uncertainty Principle (GUP) proposed in various candidate theories of quantum gravity. After finding the GUP-modified wave function for the simple harmonic oscillator, I then determined a corresponding function (Wigner function) in phase space. The modifications induced by GUP to the simple harmonic oscillator were demonstrated by analyzing the perturbations, the probability distributions for the position and momentum, and the energy levels.”

Robbins plans on pursuing a Master of Science under the guidance of Das and Walton, beginning in Fall 2015.

Scott (also a former NSERC USRA student) began his Master of Science under Spencer in May 2015 and received second place in his category for his poster presentation, Prestellar Cores in the Aquila Rift. He was competing against undergraduate and graduate students from across Canada in the Atmospheric and Space Physics division.

Due to last-minute scheduling problems, Scott also had the opportunity to present a talk on behalf of Spencer about far-infrared astrophysics and the U of L's involvement in this field.

“My poster was comprised of some of the work I did during my last year as an undergraduate student, and it focused on analyzing starless and pre-stellar cores in the Aquila Rift, a region of active star formation,” says Scott. “This work combined photometric data from Herschel (both the Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver (SPIRE) and the Photoconductor Array Camera (PACS) instruments) with high resolution heterodyne spectroscopy of CO emission recorded with the instrumentation suite at the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT). I generated spectral energy distributions (SEDs) by employing four distinct photometry methods. These SEDs were then fit to a modified black body curve from which important parameters such as dust mass, temperature and emissivity were extracted. The CO emission spectra allowed the determination of the distribution and relative velocity of cold gas in these starless and pre-stellar cores. This work gives insight into the conditions and processes taking place in the early stages of star formation.”

Both Robbins and Scott are delighted to have received this recognition and are excited about the prospects of continuing their research through graduate studies in the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

U of L to host Winter School on remote sensing of potentially habitable planets

caroline.zentner — Tue, 02 Dec 2014 17:42:54 +0000

Mankind has been searching the night sky for millennia, pondering the nature of the universe. With technological developments over the last few years, scientists now know much more about the universe and the existence of other Earth-like planets.

Sharing the knowledge behind the latest techniques for remote sensing of exoplanets, or planets that orbit a different star, is the idea behind this week’s Winter School on Remote Sensing of Exoplanets. The event runs Thursday and Friday and more information is available on the Winter School schedule.

Dr. Adriana Predoi-Cross, a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, is also the research co-ordinator for the NSERC CREATE AMETHYST program that is sponsoring the event, along with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge and Tecterra.

“I thought it would be very instructive for the students to find out about how the exploration of exoplanets and the characterization of their atmospheres has evolved in the past decade,” she says. “I hope that by the end of this Winter School, the students will not only have an overview of the new research trends but may also get interested in pursuing aspects of this research.”

Students, the majority of them graduate students and post-doctoral fellows, will learn about the methods being used to search for and detect exoplanets. One of the speakers is the U of L’s Dr. Locke Spencer, who will talk about the key science and technology developments needed for the next generation of astrophysics experiments.

“Some of the key questions in modern astrophysics, including areas such as star and planet formation, are waiting on improved observations in the far-infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum to allow our scientific understanding to advance,” says Spencer. “This requires the integration and development of a variety of technologies and observation techniques involving contributions from many research groups across the globe."

NASA’s Kepler mission was launched in 2009 with the express purpose of searching for Earth-like exoplanets. After 16 months of observation, scientists had about 2,300 planet candidates.

“Almost 1,700 of these have been confirmed as exoplanets. Because of their recent discovery, there’s a flurry of scientific activity around them, trying to explore the composition, the photo-chemistry and the evolution of these extra solar planets. There are different methods that are used to observe these extra solar planets and some of the lecturers will be focused on discussing the different techniques to investigate exoplanets,” says Predoi-Cross.

The search for other habitable planets is definitely on, although progress may not be as fast as some would like. Technological developments have enabled the collection of vast amounts of data, such as their size, orbit and the possible composition of their atmospheres, that needs further analysis.

“Some of the exoplanets that have been discovered are in what scientists call the habitable zone where it’s possible to have liquid water on the surface. There is one planet called Kepler 22B that is a potential for the habitable zone,” she says.

Media are invited to schedule an interview on Wednesday, Dec. 3 with Dr. Ingo Waldmann, an astrophysicist from ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ College London in the United Kingdom and one of the speakers at the Winter School, to talk about the search for habitable planets.

Achievements of women in physics celebrated at international conference

caroline.zentner — Thu, 28 Aug 2014 18:08:28 +0000

Women are still a minority in the field of physics but every few years they come together from all parts of the world to celebrate their achievements, exchange ideas and discuss ways to address the gender gap.

Drs. Adriana Predoi-Cross and Arundhati Dasgupta, both professors in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, were among more than 200 scientists from 52 countries to attend the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) fifth annual International Conference on Women in Physics (ICWIP) at Wilfred Laurier ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in Waterloo, Ont.

Predoi-Cross and Dasgupta, both part of the organizing committee, planned and prepared for the conference for two years. Held in early August, this year marked the first time the conference has been held in North America.

Dr. Adriana Predoi-Cross

In addition to celebrating the achievements of women in physics throughout the world, the participants attended workshops, built networks with colleagues around the world, gained skills for career success and formed regional working groups to advance women in physics.

“The conference increased the scientific visibility of women doing physics research and thereby put a spotlight on women’s contributions to physics internationally,” says Predoi-Cross.

The conference workshops focused on topics such as gender studies in physics, improving the working environment, physics education, cultural perceptions and bias in scientific practice, and professional development and leadership for women in physics.

"I believe the positive effect of ICWIP 2014 will go beyond the physics community and will have a strong effect on women leaders in all fields of science and technology," says Predoi-Cross.

“Apart from the scientific excellence of these amazing women scientists, the story of their personal journeys was also shared with the conference participants,” says Dasgupta.

Dr. Arundhati Dasgupta

Melissa Franklin, an experimental particle physicist at Harvard ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, talked about the difficulties she experienced trying to find a lab of her own, while Patience Mthunzi, a senior scientist in the National Laser Centre at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research in South Africa, spoke about being mocked because of her Zulu background. Sabine Stanley, a physics professor at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Toronto, talked about the benefits of having a spouse who is happy to follow her wherever her career takes her.

Women make up less than 15 per cent of physicists in the world yet more than 90 per cent of those who attended the conference were women.

“It was clear that the scarcity of women in physics, especially in leadership positions, is a problem for many countries,” says Predoi-Cross. “Women, men, institutions, and governments need to work together to encourage, educate, recruit, retain, advance, and promote more girls and women in physics and other science and technology professions.”

To that end, conference participants unanimously approved a resolution that will be presented at the next General Assembly of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics in October 2014.

More information about the conference is available on the IUPAP website.

Physics Department history reflects U of L story

trevor.kenney — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:13:50 +0000

The history of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is one of bold beginnings and independent ideals, traits that are reflected in the histories of the individual departments on campus. The evolution of the Department of Physics and Astronomy may embody that more than any other.

"Our story is really the story of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ," says department Chair and associate professor Dr. David Siminovitch. "For us, in particular, there were some moments it could have gone quite badly and we might not even be here, but we are and we've triumphed."

The department's story has caught the eye of the Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP) and is featured in the latest edition of its quarterly magazine, Physics in Canada.

"CAP approached me several years ago to do this but I just didn't have the time," says Siminovitch. "Finally, a couple of years ago I sat down and said if I don't do it now, I'm never going to do it. I literally set aside two weeks where I dropped everything else and worked on writing the history of our department. Since then I'd spent a week here or there polishing it."

For Siminovitch, who came to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in 1990, the exercise proved to be very enlightening.

"There was a lot that happened before me," says Siminovitch.

"I had some help from the department and particularly from Dr. Arvid Schultz, one of the founding members, and from Drs. Keramat Ali and David Naylor. It was very satisfying for us to get it done and the nice thing is, it now goes into something that is read by virtually every member of the Canadian physics community, including faculty members but also graduate and undergraduate students."

The department's history spans four decades, each of which has significant milestones, taking the department from its establishment in 1967 as an independent unit of the Faculty of Arts & Science focused principally on teaching to today's comprehensive research and development group.

Over the past 40-plus years, the department's maturation has been anything but linear, and Siminovitch points to a particularly poignant period in history when the future of physics at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ was in question.

He describes a department lacking support as it approached its second decade, with a low sense of morale and experiencing high rates of attrition. In 1979, academic vice-president, Dr. Owen Holmes, requested an external, independent review of the department. Its resulting report was frank and blunt, recommending as a bare minimum step to rebuild and strengthen the department that two new faculty be recruited immediately, both active in experimental physics.

"Firstly, they had the good sense to go outside the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ to find out what they should do," says Siminovitch. "Then they had the courage to act on the recommendations, hiring both Dr. Ali and Dr. Naylor. The rest really is history. They did right back in 1979 and the department is alive and well because of that."

With the history now written and published, Siminovitch encourages other ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ departments to look into their pasts and to put down their own histories.

"I view this as both telling our story but also telling our story at a very important moment in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's history," he says. "The nice thing now is that this history lives on the web (www.uleth.ca/artsci/physics-astronomy/department-history) and it is dynamic, so we plan to continually update it, not only as we move along year to year but also adding to our past as more stories emerge."

This story first appeared in the January edition of the Legend. For a look at the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Physics Department history reflects U of L story

trevor.kenney — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 22:22:14 +0000

The department's story has caught the eye of the Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP) and is featured in the latest edition of its quarterly magazine, Physics in Canada.

For Siminovitch, who came to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in 1990, the exercise proved to be very enlightening.

"There was a lot that happened before me," says Siminovitch.

With the history now written and published, Siminovitch encourages other ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ departments to look into their pasts and to put down their own histories.

This story first appeared in the January edition of the Legend. For a look at the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

UNews - Department of Physics and Astronomy

U of L researchers awarded more than $1.8 million in NSERC funding

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SPICA mission, with major ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge contribution, one step closer to reality