News and Events
Last evening, at the 125th Awards Ceremony of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, Derrick Pitts of the Franklin Institute (and Vice-president of the ASP) presented the 2022 Richard Emmons Award to George Greenstein of Amherst College. The Emmons Award recognizes a lifetime of contributions to the teaching of Astro 101 courses at the college level.
The latest Chambliss Astronomy Achievement Student Awards poster competition was a success, and we at AAS are excited to announce the winners of the competition! The following winners presented their posters at our 240th AAS meeting in Pasadena, California, in June 2022. The competition is only possible because of the hard work of our many judges, so if you haven't signed up to judge student posters in the past (or in a while), I encourage you to do so in the future. Your next opportunity will be at the 241st AAS meeting in Seattle, Washington, in January 2023.
Professor in the Department of Astronomy, College of Natural Sciences Thursday, March 23, 2023, 4:00 p.m. Great Hall, Old Chapel UMass and the Large Millimeter Telescope In 2019, the first image ever made of a black hole triggered international excitement. The stunning image brought enormous attention to the University of Massachusetts, which played a key part in the global collaboration that captured the image.
The Astronomy Department is looking for a Computer Systems Administrator. If you are interested, please see the following link:
A University of Massachusetts Amherst undergraduate student has contributed significant work regarding the growth of stars and black holes, providing key insight into how they are linked. This new information will allow the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to more efficiently untangle how, exactly, galaxies work. Please see the link for more information.
Prof. Pete Schloerb has been recently awarded the 2022 Distinguished Faculty Lectureship and Chancellor Medal. This lecture series celebrates the value of academic excellence and recognizes the distinguished achievements of faculty. Those chosen for the series also receive the Chancellor's Medal, the highest honor bestowed to faculty by the campus. Congratulations to Pete!
Friday, May 13, 2022
4:30 – 6:30 p.m., rain or shine
McGuirk Alumni Stadium, UMass Amherst
The University Commencement is UMass Amherst’s official, large graduation ceremony. It is held outdoors, rain or shine, and includes graduates from all majors on campus. The university website posts information as it becomes available about planning your visit and information for seniors, such as how to get a cap and gown, how to arrange senior portraits, etc.
Saturday, May 14, 2022
9:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Mullins Center, UMass Amherst
Astronomy Senior Celebration
Saturday, May 14, 2022
TIme: 11:30-1:30
Place: Lederle Graduate Research Tower 1033
An international team of 300 astronomers, including our own Sandra Bustamante, Pete Schloerb, Kamal Souccar, and Gopal Narayanan, have unveiled the first image of the supermassive black hole at the center of our own Milky Way galaxy. The team, the Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration, used a worldwide network of radio telescopes, including the Large Millimeter Telescope (LMT), to obtain the first image of the glowing gas around the black hole. The LMT is operated jointly by UMass and the country of Mexico. Congratulations to Sandra, Pete, Kamal, and Gopal!
The 2022 Mary Dailey Irvine outstanding thesis prize goes to:
Meredith Stone
Thesis title: “The Coevolution of Star Formation and Supermassive Black Hole Accretion in Local Dusty Galaxies”
Advisor: Alexandra Pope
The Mary Dailey Irvine Prize is established through a gift from the Irvine Family to the Five College Astronomy Department in memory of Mary Dailey Irvine (Smith College 1922). This prize exists to encourage and honor excellent undergraduate research in astronomy and astrophysics. The prize is awarded to a graduating senior from one of the Five College institutions for an outstanding senior thesis or research paper presented to the department on an astronomical or astrophysical topic.
Congratulations Meredith!
Congratulations to astronomy student Meredith Stone, who has been selected to receive the Outstanding Astronomy Senior Award. The Outstanding Astronomy Senior Award is awarded to a graduating undergraduate student who has demonstrated outstanding performance across the multiple dimensions of academics, research, and community engagement.
