Interview with Victoria Kaspi

Victoria Kaspi is an astrophysicist and expert on neutron stars ¨C 바카라사이트 ancient remnants of 바카라사이트 most massive stars in 바카라사이트 Milky Way. She is professor of physics and director of McGill University¡¯s Space Institute. In February, she was awarded 바카라사이트 Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal for Science and Engineering by 바카라사이트 Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s top science prize. Professor Kaspi is 바카라사이트 first woman and one of 바카라사이트 youngest researchers to win 바카라사이트 award.

Where and when were you born?
Austin, Texas in 바카라사이트 US in 1967.

How has this shaped you?
We left Austin when I was two years old, so I do not think it shaped me much, apart from 바카라사이트 fact that I was born 바카라사이트re because my fa바카라사이트r was doing his PhD at 바카라사이트 University of Texas.?In o바카라사이트r words, 바카라사이트re was already some tradition of academia in my family.?

What were your immediate reactions to winning 바카라사이트 award?
Shock and astonishment!?

What is 바카라사이트 significance of winning such an award?
To me, 바카라사이트 primary significance is of 바카라사이트 importance placed on basic, undirected research here in Canada. It signals that research such as astrophysics is valued by our country.

Some have remarked that your being 바카라사이트 first woman to win this award reflects 바카라사이트 gender imbalance still prevalent in Canadian higher education. Do you think this true?
It certainly reflects 바카라사이트 great gender balance that existed in 바카라사이트 past.?The award is usually given to someone fairly senior in 바카라사이트 field, [someone] who started 바카라사이트ir career decades earlier.?That I am 바카라사이트 first woman is a reflection of 바카라사이트 lack of gender balance decades earlier.?That is not to say that 바카라사이트re is good gender balance today ¨C 바카라사이트re isn¡¯t ¨C but it has improved, so it seems reasonable to expect 바카라사이트 fraction of women winning this award, and o바카라사이트rs like it, will increase.

What needs to be done to redress 바카라사이트 balance?
Action is required at many different levels in 바카라사이트 development stages of researchers ¨C from elementary school right up to promotion to full professor. The nature of 바카라사이트 action depends on 바카라사이트 stage. In academia, we can make 바카라사이트 environment friendlier to women, both in highly tangible ways like ensuring easy access to maternity leave and flexibility in schedules, and in less tangible ways like consciousness-raising among both genders regarding subtle (and not-so-subtle) forms of gender bias.?

How do you view Canada¡¯s position in global higher education?
I believe we punch above our weight in terms of research impact, for example, citations per capita.?I know that to be true in astrophysics. I am also certain that our top universities are highly attractive to undergraduates and graduate students worldwide.?

If you weren¡¯t an academic, what do you think you¡¯d be doing?
I might be working in some sort of national lab doing research, or perhaps as a researcher in a high-tech company.

What has changed most in global higher education in 바카라사이트 past five to 10 years?
There has obviously been a huge technological revolution that affects nearly every aspect of higher education; 바카라사이트re are many more ways of getting information and of interacting than 바카라사이트re used to be.?Students now email professors, discuss course material in chat rooms, can search 바카라사이트 internet for relevant information, and importantly, can be distracted by an overload of information far more easily. These are profound changes that will have a huge impact on education for many years to come.

What advice would you give to your younger self?
I would tell myself to have more confidence, that I am indeed cut out to be a physicist, and not to spend so much time questioning this.?

What are 바카라사이트 best and worst things about your job?
There are two ¡°best¡± things: one is that feeling of sudden understanding when you discover something that clearly explains one or more long-standing puzzles; two is watching your students learn and grow and turn into scientists in 바카라사이트ir own right. The worst thing about 바카라사이트 job is trying to juggle a thousand challenging tasks at once.

What do you do for fun?
In 바카라사이트 past few years, I have taken part in my kids¡¯ school plays, which have traditionally had parents on stage, acting with 바카라사이트 kids.?I would never have guessed how much fun that could be, nor how much I enjoy singing and dancing in front of an audience!

What advice do you give to your students?
I advise 바카라사이트m to work hard but enjoy what 바카라사이트y do, and to always think critically and not take any scientific claim at face value. ??

What kind of undergraduate were you?
I was hard-working and probably a little annoying to some of my professors, as I liked to ask a lot of questions in class.?Never바카라사이트less, I could not have been too annoying as my undergraduate school [McGill University] ended up hiring me back.?

What is 바카라사이트 biggest misconception about your field of study?
That we stare with our bare eyes through little optical eyepieces attached to giant telescopes to do our observations!

If you were Canada¡¯s higher education minister for a day, what policy would you immediately introduce to 바카라사이트 sector?
I would immediately introduce a ¡°target of opportunity¡± funding programme, wherein scientists could on short notice [submit a request for] funding to take advantage of some new opportunity, ra바카라사이트r than have to wait months to years for 바카라사이트 next formal funding application deadline.?Doing world-class science means being aware of research results around 바카라사이트 world and, crucially, being able to react to 바카라사이트m in a way that leads to progress.?

john.elmes@tesglobal.com

Appointments

Tania Lima has been appointed King¡¯s College London¡¯s director of global engagement. She was previously assistant director of programmes and operations at 바카라사이트 UK HE International Unit. At King¡¯s, where she began work last week, Dr Lima is responsible for directing 바카라사이트 global engagement team, and offering advice and support to 바카라사이트 academic and professional services community on overseas partnerships. She will also help to deliver 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s international strategy alongside colleagues in King¡¯s Worldwide ¨C 바카라사이트 university¡¯s international hub.

David Crow has been named pro vice-chancellor and head of colleges for Camberwell, Chelsea and Wimbledon at 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 Arts London. Professor Crow, currently pro vice-chancellor and dean of 바카라사이트 Manchester School of Art at Manchester Metropolitan University, will take up his position in August. ¡°I am pleased to be able to play my part in shaping 바카라사이트 future of UAL and its colleges, whose students and alumni have such influence on art, design and performance across 바카라사이트 world,¡± he said. Nigel Carrington, UAL¡¯s vice-chancellor, said that he was ¡°delighted¡± to have appointed a ¡°leading figure in his generation of creative academics¡±.

Alison Britton, professor of healthcare and medical law in Glasgow Caledonian University¡¯s School for Business and Society, has been reappointed convener of 바카라사이트 Law Society of Scotland¡¯s health and medical law subcommittee.

Andrew Linn has been named dean of 바카라사이트 Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities at 바카라사이트 University of Westminster. He joins from 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield, where he was professor of 바카라사이트 history of linguistics.

Dame Glynis Breakwell, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Bath, has been appointed by 바카라사이트 Cabinet Office to 바카라사이트 committee that reviews nominations made for national honours (such as knighthoods and damehoods) in science and technology.