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News
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Department News: 2015
Erik Shirokoff has received a NSF CAREER award December 22, 2015  The CAREER award is presented to junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organizations. Related: Department members: Erik Shirokoff Sean Johnson and Laura Kreidberg have won AAS Doxsey Travel Prizes November 12, 2015  "Dear Doxsey Prize Winner, On behalf of AAS President Dr. C. Megan Urry and AAS Executive Officer Dr. Kevin B. Marvel, congratulations! You are among the 9 winners of the Rodger Doxsey Travel Prize for the AAS's 227th meeting in Kissimmee, FL. This prize, which was enabled by generous donations from Rodger Doxsey's family, friends, and colleagues to honor Rodger's memory and lifetime achievements, is given annually for our winter meeting. We will highlight your dissertation presentation in the meeting program book and in other meeting-related materials." - American Astronomical Society Related: Department members: Jacob L. Bean, Hsiao-Wen Chen Department students: Sean Johnson, Laura Kreidberg Congratulations to Dr. Tyler Natoli! September 29, 2015  Tyler has received a Dunlap Fellow position with the Dunlap Institute at the University of Toronto. Related: Department members: John E. Carlstrom Scientific projects: South Pole Telescope Prof. Richard Kron is the new Assistant Chair for Academic Affairs September 24, 2015  I am very pleased to announce that Prof. Richard Kron will become the new Assistant Chair for Academic Affairs, starting October 1, 2015. Rich will continue to lead the implementation of the new AstroU program for undergraduates as well as oversee the success of the careers of our graduate students. Rich will have the support of Dr. Julia Borst Brazas as our new part-time Academic Affairs Administrator, who will also serve as the Assistant to the Assistant Chair for Academic Affairs. Ms. Laticia Rebeles will continue to work closely with our graduate and undergraduate students, and with Julia and Rich, in her role as the full-time Student Affairs Administrator. I want to take this opportunity to thank Prof. Michael Gladders who, in addition to his other duties, has provided great leadership as Assistant Chair for Academic Affairs. Mike finished implementing the reorganization of the graduate curriculum and spearheaded the development of the Astro Core sequences in the College. He also effectively shepherded our graduate students into completing their theses efficiently and preparing for a productive postdoctoral career. Please join me in thanking Mike for his service and congratulating Rich as he assumes his new responsibilities. Angela V. Olinto, Homer J. Livingston Professor and Chair Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics Related: Department members: Julia Borst Brazas, Michael D. Gladders, Richard G. Kron, Angela V. Olinto, Laticia Rebeles John Carlstrom has received 2015 Gruber Cosmology Prize August 6, 2015  Related: Department members: John E. Carlstrom, Wendy L. Freedman Scientific projects: South Pole Telescope Congratulations to Dr. Louis Abramson! July 13, 2015  "Dr. Louis Abramson is an expert on the observation and phenomenological modeling of galaxy evolution, with a particular focus on the relationship between bulk statistical observables of galaxies, such as the distributions of star-formation-rate and mass over cosmic time, and the star formation histories of galaxies. His work during his Ph.D. has led to several new insights into the relationship between the passive (i.e., bulges) and actively star-forming components of galaxies, and led to a clear understanding that the scatter of galaxies across the so-called 'star forming main-sequence' is a critical observable to consider in further analyses, which he will continue as a postdoc at UCLA." - Michael D. Gladders, Ph.D. advisor Louis has received a Postdoctoral Scholar at the UCLA Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics. Related: Department members: Michael D. Gladders Department students: Louis Abramson Laura Kreidberg wins a Harper Dissertation Fellowship June 12, 2015  Please join me in congratulating Laura Kreidberg for winning a William Rainey Harper Dissertation Fellowship for the 2015-16 academic year. One of the University of Chicago's highest honors, the award recognizes significant achievement during graduate studies and professional promise. Congratulations Laura! Angela V. Olinto, Homer J. Livingston Professor and Chair Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics Related: Department members: Jacob L. Bean, Angela V. Olinto Department students: Laura Kreidberg Congratulations to Dr. Ke Fang! June 11, 2015  Ke has received a joint postdoctoral position at the University of Maryland and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Related: Department members: Angela V. Olinto Department students: Ke Fang Congratulations to Dr. Benedikt Diemer! June 11, 2015  "In his PhD thesis Benedikt Diemer has shown that radial density profiles of dark matter halos cannot be characterized only as a function of halo mass, as was thought previously, but also depend on the mass accretion rate of halos. The work has resulted in a new model that accurately describes halo profiles in simulations from small radii out to 10 virial radii. Likewise, Benedikt has shown that halo concentrations depend not only on the halo mass (or more precisely on halo peak height), but also on the local slope of the power spectrum. Overall, this thesis showed that previously believed "universality" of the halo profiles is limited. Beyond just criticizing previous models, new models were developed that take into account the extra dependencies of halo profile parameters on the mass accretion rate and power law slope." - Andrey V. Kravtsov, Ph.D. advisor Benedikt has received a fellow position at the Institute for Theory and Computation (ITC) at the Harvard University. Related: Department members: Andrey V. Kravtsov Department students: Benedikt Diemer Congratulations to Dr. Jennifer Helsby! June 11, 2015  "To constrain cosmology, and in particular to probe dark energy, from deep optical imaging surveys such as the Dark Energy Survey (DES), requires precise estimates of the redshifts of the distant galaxies they observe. Traditionally, these redshift estimates are made using galaxy colors, but this technique has known limitations and biases. Jennifer's thesis work involved the testing and implementation of a novel technique for estimating redshifts of galaxies, using the fact that they cluster in space with galaxies for which the redshifts may be known from spectroscopic measurements. Using simulations, Jen found that this "clustering redshift" technique accurately reconstructs the galaxy redshift distribution for a survey such as DES. She then applied this technique to determine the redshift distribution for several million galaxies in the first year of DES data, an important result that should prove extremely valuable for the cosmological analysis of these data." - Joshua A. Frieman, PhD advisor Jennifer has received a 2015 Data Science for Social Good Fellowship position at the University of Chicago. Related: Department members: Joshua A. Frieman Department students: Jennifer Helsby Scientific projects: Dark Energy Survey Congratulations to Prof. Wendy Freedman! June 10, 2015  I am pleased to announce that following approval by the Board of Trustees, Wendy Freedman has been named the John and Marion Sullivan University Professorship effective July 1, 2015. Please join me in congratulating Wendy on this honor, which recognizes outstanding contribution to scholarship, teaching, and the intellectual community of the University. Regards, Rocky Kolb Dean of the Physical Sciences The University of Chicago Related: Department members: Wendy L. Freedman, Edward ''Rocky'' W. Kolb Cameron Jia Liang has won a NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship June 3, 2015  This fellowship award is a recognition of his accomplishment so far and allows him to continue the effort in pursuing a better understanding of the baryon cycle between galaxies and their surrounding medium. NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship Awarded annually, NASA Earth and Space Sciences Fellowships are given to students pursing masters or doctoral degrees in Earth and space sciences or related disciplines. The mission of the fellowship program is to ensure continued training of a highly qualified workforce in disciplines needed to achieve NASA’s primary scientific goals. Those goals include studying planet Earth from space to advance scientific understanding and meet societal needs; understanding the Sun and its effects on Earth and the solar system; advancing scientific knowledge of the origin and evolution of the solar system, the potential for life elsewhere, and the hazards and resources present as humans explore space; and discovering the origin, structure, evolution, and destiny of the universe and search for Earth-like planets. Related: Department members: Hsiao-Wen Chen Department students: Cameron Jia Liang Congratulations to Dr. Vinicius Miranda Braganca! June 2, 2015  Vinicius has received a Postdoctoral Fellow position at the University of Pennsylvania. Related: Department members: Wayne Hu Department students: Vinicius Miranda Braganca Sugarman Awards for Excellence in Student Research June 2, 2015 
NATHAN SUGARMAN, Professor Emeritus in the Enrico Fermi Institute and the Department of Chemistry, was devoted to the Institute and to the education of its students. The Sugarman Award Fund honors this commitment through its annual awards for student achievements in research. Related: Department members: Andrey V. Kravtsov, Donald Q. Lamb Department students: Hsin-Yu Chen, Benedikt Diemer Angela Olinto wins a 2014-2015 Faculty Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching and Mentoring June 1, 2015  Please join me in congratulating Angela Olinto for her selection as a winner of a 2014-2015 Faculty Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching and Mentoring. The award honors faculty members for their achievements in classroom teaching and for their special contributions in encouraging the work of graduate students. Given the great importance we place upon teaching and mentoring at the University, her recognition is a very high honor indeed. The award will be presented to her at the Spring Quarter Convocation on Saturday, June 13, 2015, during the Division of the Physical Sciences Diploma and Hooding Ceremony. That ceremony will take place at noon at the Logan Center, Performance Hall. It will be a special pleasure for me to present it to her. Sincerely, Rocky Kolb Dean of the Physical Sciences Division Related: Department members: Edward ''Rocky'' W. Kolb, Angela V. Olinto Angela Olinto will serve a second consecutive term as Chair of Astronomy & Astrophysics April 29, 2015  I am pleased to announce that following the recommendation of the department's Chair Search Committee, Angela Olinto will serve a second consecutive term as Chair of Astronomy & Astrophysics through September 30, 2018. Angela has provided exemplary leadership during this current term, and her continued leadership will be crucial to advancing the many strategic initiatives of the department. Please join me in congratulating Angela on her reappointment. Regards, Rocky Kolb Dean of the Physical Sciences Related: Department members: Edward ''Rocky'' W. Kolb, Angela V. Olinto Laura Kreidberg awarded a Plotnick Fellowship February 19, 2015  Congratulations Laura! Angela V. Olinto, Homer J. Livingston Professor Chair of the Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics Related: Department members: Jacob L. Bean, Angela V. Olinto Department students: Laura Kreidberg |