Chicago Science Field Trips

Monday, May 13, 2024
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM CT
Where: Technological Institute, F160, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208 map it
Audience: Faculty/Staff - Student - Post Docs/Docs - Graduate Students
Contact: CIERA Astrophysics (847) 491-8646
CIERA@northwestern.edu
Group: CIERA - Interdisciplinary Colloquia
Category: Lectures & Meetings

### Description:

Dr. Thomas H. Zurbuchen
Dr. Thomas H. Zurbuchen is a professor and leader of the Space Programs at ETH Zurich, in Switzerland. Known in the space community as “Dr. Z,” he is the longest continually serving head of science at NASA, a post he held from 2016 to 2022. As NASA associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate, he was responsible for all aspects of NASA leadership in space science. During his tenure, NASA launched 37 science missions and started 54, including the James Webb Space Telescope, two Mars landings, the Ingenuity helicopter, the Parker Solar Probe, and the DART mission. Zurbuchen also conceived and led the Earth System Observatory, an advanced multi-platform observatory that creates a 3D holistic view of the Earth, from bedrock to atmosphere.
He has a MS and PhD of physics/astrophysics from the University of Bern and as a Professor worked at the University of Michigan as a researcher, teacher and innovator for two decades. He was the founder of the award-winning Center for Entrepreneurship there which achieved top rating within the US for their educational and experiential programs. He is a member of the Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences, recipient of the NASA Outstanding Service Medal, associate fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and recipient of the Presidential Rank Award, Distinguished Level. He is a winner of the excellence in international cooperation award of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), and has received multiple honorary doctorates.
RSVP:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScyJczGTIK5u_hmnHUHPUCjek6KeLafMRO32H2rmwfLUhxhSw/viewform?usp=sf_link
Host: Vicky Kalogera
Talk Title: How NASA is Exploring the Secrets of the Universe, and Improving Life on Earth: Role of Commercial and International Partnerships
Talk Abstract:
Since NASA was established in 1958 by President Eisenhower, the expansion of human knowledge of the Earth and of phenomena in the atmosphere and space has been the priority of NASA. Discovery and exploration occur both with robotic and human exploration and it has changed how we think about the universe, our planet, and life beyond Earth. This presentation will focus on a few recent missions, to demonstrate the power of space as a frontier of discovery, and to show how these missions rely on teams that make the impossible possible. It will particularly focus on commercial and international partnerships that are a critical part of NASA’s Science program.

https://planitpurple.northwestern.edu/event/614997

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScyJczGTIK5u_hmnHUHPUCjek6KeLafMRO32H2rmwfLUhxhSw/viewform?usp=sf_link

When: Friday, May 17, 2024
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM CT
Where: Technological Institute, LR3, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208 map it
Audience: Faculty/Staff - Student - Public - Post Docs/Docs - Graduate Students
Cost: Free and open to the public.
Contact: CIERA Astrophysics (847) 491-8646
CIERA@northwestern.edu
Group: CIERA - Annual Public Lecture Series
Category: Lectures & Meetings

### Description:

Northwestern University's Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA) presents the 3rd CIERA ASTRONOMY NIGHT OUT featuring Dr. Caitlin Witt

• A free, keynote lecture given by CIERA astronomer, Dr. Caitlin Witt
• After the lecture, engage in family astronomy activities, and look through telescopes (weather permitting)!
• Come see electrified gasses through light-splitting glasses, or take home your own crafted constellation! We'll have CIERA astronomers ready to answer all of your spacey questions, and a local artist showcasing how he bridges science and the arts! This and much more at CIERA's Astronomy Night Out!
• Campus parking lots are free and unrestricted in the evenings.
• All are welcome! Content tailored to a general audience.
Caitlin Witt
CIERA, Northwestern University and Adler Planetarium
Talk Title:
Tuning into the Cosmic Symphony: Pulsar Timing, the Gravitational Wave Background, and Beyond
About this Talk: In the cosmic symphony of gravitational waves, supermassive black hole binaries provide the bass notes. However, when these colossal duos play all at once, their individual melodies overlap into an indistinct rumble. After 15 years of effort, astronomers announced last summer that they have at last found evidence for this background hum of gravitational waves using an observatory that spans our entire Milky Way galaxy. Tune in with us to hear more about gravitational wave symphonies, monstrous black holes, colliding galaxies, dead stars, and more!
About the Presenter:
Dr. Caitlin A. Witt is the CIERA-Adler Postdoctoral Fellow at CIERA and the Adler Planetarium. Her main research interests are supermassive black hole binaries (SMBHBs), the low frequency gravitational waves they emit, and their effects on their host galaxies. As a member of the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav), Caitlin leads efforts to detect continuous gravitational waves from individual SMBHBs with pulsar timing arrays and develop methods to use information learned in electromagnetic searches for SMBHBs in multi-messenger searches for these elusive pairs. She is also interested in searches for periodicity in AGN light curves, efficient computational analysis of large data sets, and data visualization. At Adler, Caitlin is working with the Public Observing team to develop a research program for Chicago students using Adler’s Doane Observatory.

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https://planitpurple.northwestern.edu/event/615097