News and Events
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.
Astronomy seniors Emily Martsen and Caleigh Ryan have been selected to receive the Astronomy Award for Academic Excellence. The Astronomy Award for Academic Excellence is awarded to a graduating undergraduate student who has achieved outstanding academic performance, through excellent GPA.
Congratulations to UMass Astronomy undergraduate student Sierra Gomez for being awarded the Five Colleges Lorna M. Peterson Prize for 2022. The Lorna M. Peterson Prize supports scholarly and creative work by undergraduate students taking part in Five College programs and cross campus collaborations. The Prize is awarded annually based on nominations from Five College programs.
Congratulations to Astronomy undergraduate students Samuel Millstone and Daniel Krista-Kelsey, who have been awarded the David J. Van Blerkom Scholarship for 2022. The scholarship is endowed by the Van Blerkom family and is awarded based on academic excellence to a University of Massachusetts undergraduate and supports a research internship for that undergraduate.
