FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Image: Gwen Rudie, Carnegie Observatories
The Award recognizes an outstanding junior scholar researching any topic within the broad theme of origins. Prof Drout received the award for her ground breaking work on neutron star mergers, which she showed are the origin of most of the heavy elements in the Universe.
The honour was originally awarded as part of the Origins Project, which has recently been transitioned into the Interplanetary Initiative, headed by Lindy Elkins-Tanton, the director of ASU’s School of Earth and Space Exploration.
In addition to the Lectureship Award, Drout also recently received a 2018 Azrieli Global Scholar Award from the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), and a Postdoctoral Innovation and Excellence Award from the Carnegie Institution for Science.
On October 25th, Drout will present a public lecture at ASU titled Astronomical Alchemy: The Origin of the Elements in which she will explore the Universe through the periodic table, explaining how the elements formed and how her research has recently shed new light on the formation of the heaviest elements.
In 2017, Drout and her colleagues at Carnegie Observatories made astronomical history as the first observers to identify the visual component of an event—the merger of two neutron stars—that generated gravitational waves detected on Earth.
Drout received her PhD from Harvard University. She is a former NASA Hubble Fellow and joined the University of Toronto as a Carnegie-Dunlap Fellow in 2016. She became an Assistant Professor in U of T’s Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics in September 2018.
For more about the lecture, including a link to a live-stream feed, visit: https://asunow.asu.edu/20181019-discoveries-visiting-astronomer-maria-drout-asu-public-lecture
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Prof. Maria Drout
Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics
University of Toronto
p: 416-978-2192
e: drout@astro.utoronto.ca
Alyssa Roby
Program Manager
Interplanetary Initiative
Arizona State University
e: Alyssa.Roby@asu.edu
Chris Sasaki
Communications Coordinator | Press Officer
Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics
University of Toronto
p: 416-978-6613
e: csasaki@dunlap.utoronto.ca
w: dunlap.utoronto.ca
The Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics at the University of Toronto is an endowed research institute with nearly 70 faculty, postdocs, students and staff, dedicated to innovative technology, ground-breaking research, world-class training, and public engagement. The research themes of its faculty and Dunlap Fellows span the Universe and include: optical, infrared and radio instrumentation; Dark Energy; large-scale structure; the Cosmic Microwave Background; the interstellar medium; galaxy evolution; cosmic magnetism; and time-domain science.
The Dunlap Institute, Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics, and Centre for Planetary Sciences comprise the leading centre for astronomical research in Canada, at the leading research university in the country, the University of Toronto.
The Dunlap Institute is committed to making its science, training and public outreach activities productive and enjoyable for everyone, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, nationality or religion.
###
