News - Trottier Space Institute at McGill

McGill-linked AXIS mission is one of two finalists in NASA selection process

Nov 28, 2024, McGill Reporter

Space probe co-led by McGill’s Daryl Haggard would aim to enhance understanding of black holes, galactic evolution and potential for habitable planets through advanced X-ray imaging technology

Five exceptional educators to be honoured at Fall Convocation

Nov 27, 2024, McGill Reporter

Five educators from four McGill faculties will be presented with a President’s Prize for Excellence in Teaching at the Fall Convocation ceremonies on Dec. 2. Created in 2000, the award honours outstanding teaching and its vital contribution to students’ academic experience. Adrian Liu is highly respected for his research and teaching, particularly his commitment to fostering an inclusive environment for students from diverse backgrounds. Praised for his compassionate mentoring, Liu uses strategies that support all learners, especially marginalized students. He has made key contributions to the Physics curriculum and, as Chair of the Outreach and EDI Committees, has invited speakers on topics like women in science and supporting underrepresented students. In 2020, Liu became the youngest recipient of the Department of Physics’ John David Jackson Teaching Award.

Admin and support staff honoured for going above and beyond

Nov 27, 2024, McGill Reporter

Organizing an eclipse party, reimagining the admissions process, supporting McGill’s academic mission: those are just some of the outstanding contributions made by the recipients of the 2023-24 President’s Awards for Administrative and Support Staff. Winners are being honoured for the quality of their work, service to the community, innovation and initiative. This year’s solar eclipse may have brought darkness to Montreal, but it was Carolina Cruz-Vinaccia’s time to shine. As the person responsible for programming portfolio for the Trottier Space Institute and the Department of Physics, Cruz-Vinaccia expertly organizes events such as the annual Undergraduate Summer Program. But her signature accomplishment this year was spearheading McGill’s 2024 Solar Eclipse events, a resounding success that garnered international attention and brought over 10,000 people to McGill’s campuses. Cruz-Vinaccia’s flawless execution of this ambitious, once-in-a-lifetime event testifies to her extraordinary leadership, foresight and professionalism.

Natalya Gomez and Daryl Haggard win Arthur B. McDonald Fellowships

Nov 6, 2024, McGill Reporter

Professors Natalya Gomez (Earth and Planetary Sciences) and Daryl Haggard (Physics) have been awarded 2024 Arthur B. McDonald Fellowships from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

News Family Science Day: McGill’s Family Friendly Foray into Science

Oct 18, 2024, McGill Reporter

This past September, McGill hosted Family Science Day on McGill’s Downtown Campus, a free scientific discovery event aimed toward families in Montréal. A collaboration between McGill’s Office of Science Outreach, STEMM Diversity @ McGill, the Trottier Space Institute (TSI), and McGill Physics Outreach, the event saw over five hundred people join the fun. From interactive mini-habitats to parachute-making workshops, participants explored a variety of scientific topics, from biodiversity conservation to the speed of gravity. Families crowded around solar telescopes to view solar projections, while others engaged their creativity and built colorful spacecraft out of Legos.

Cynthia Chiang is searching for signs of the universe's first light

Jul 24, 2024, National Geographic

The cosmologist builds her own equipment, and deploys it to the edges of the Earth, to get a hint of how the cosmos came to be.

La recherche : Un nouveau radiotélescope

Jul 12, 2024, Radio-Canada

Un podcast mettant en vedette l'étudiant diplômé Mohan Agrawal.

Exploring the Cosmos from the Ends of the Earth

Jun 21, 2024, National Geographic

TSI Prof. Cynthia Chiang's presentation from the 2024 National Geographic Explorers Festival.

Cynthia Chiang, Cosmologist

Jun 20, 2024, National Geographic

National Geographic Explorer Cynthia Chiang studies the cosmic dawn and the dark ages. As an associate professor of physics at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, Chiang specializes in building and deploying radio telescopes. She travels to remote locations including the Canadian High Arctic and Marion Island in the sub-Antarctic. Her work has allowed her to collaborate with researchers in other fields and provide new opportunities for students, all of which have revealed unexpected new dimensions in Chiang’s professional explorations.

Cosmic Journey II: Voyage into the Abyss

Jun 5, 2024, Smithsonian

Hitch a ride on the Chandra X-ray Observatory as it scours deep space for some of the most enigmatic and misunderstood objects in the universe: black holes. TSI Prof. Daryl Haggard is a guest on this podcast episode.