Message from the Chair

During the spring semester, we continued progressing towards a regular campus life with many activities we enjoyed as a department before the pandemic, despite the ongoing Omicron COVID-19 wave. We were pleased to host Juna Kollmeier, the Director of the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics, as our guest lecturer at the College of Science’s Frontiers of Science event. Also, for the first time since 2019, we were thrilled to hold our Physics & Astronomy Awards Ceremony in person. It was wonderful to see students, their families, and guests at this ceremony, as well as at our convocation and hooding ceremonies in May.

We are proud of our undergraduate and graduate students, and I speak on behalf of the department and our faculty in recognizing the achievements of our students in completing their degree requirements. Obtaining physics and astronomy degrees takes hard work and dedication. We have enjoyed teaching and working with our students, and we wish them the best as they move forward in their lives and careers.

This spring, our talented faculty, postdocs, undergraduate students, and staff members received again many awards and much recognition. The quality and quantity of the awards are a testament to the department’s reputation in having first-class research opportunities and a faculty committed to strong educational programs. We will always remain focused on our commitment to excellence in research and teaching, in both our undergraduate and graduate programs. We are very proud of our student, staff, and faculty achievements. Please find more information about these awards on page 7.

Astronomers in our department have participated in a collaboration which has led to the discovery of a black hole that is unlike almost any other. An intermediate-mass black hole is an object that has long been sought by astronomers. You can read more about it on page 2.

Physics as a discipline has attempted to grapple with equity and inclusion issues for generations. In particular, LGBT+ physicists have historically faced harassment and discrimination; many have left the profession because of this. We are excited that the first scientific study of LGBT+ physicists’ experiences has been led by a researcher in our department, Assistant Professor Ramón Barthelemy. While research in the past has explored inclusion and equity challenges faced by physicists with regard to gender and race, this study sought to expand the understanding of the impact of these barriers through a survey of the experiences of 324 people in physics across the LGBT+ spectrum. The study identified the two most significant factors influencing a person’s decision to leave physics: the overall climate of the organization they belong to and the observation and experience of exclusionary behavior.

As always, thank you for your ongoing support and generosity. We depend on your interest in our ability to achieve excellence in teaching, mentoring, and research in a diverse and inclusive environment.

Sincerely,

Christoph Boehme

Professor and Chair Department of Physics & Astronomy