Quantum Jubilee – PI Helvi Witek and PhD students Chloe Richards, Noora Ghadiri, and Domenica Garzon
PI Helvi Witek and PhD student Chloe Richards perform in “Cosmic Whispers: Shared Voices” and Noora and Domenica contributed art as a part of the public outreach event Quantum Jubilee in Anaheim California to celebrate the year of the quantum.
Young Scholars Program – Freddy P. and Elena
The Young Scholars Program funds high school students from underrepresented groups in Urbana-Champaign and around the United States to spend six weeks working with a research group in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine) at the University of Illinois. In 2024 Elena and Freddy P. mentored two high school students who ran simulations of merging black holes. The students analyzed data from these simulations using plots, movies, and sonified gravitational waveforms, which they then presented at a symposium at the end of their program. Elena and Freddy P. look forward to hosting more students again in 2025.
Rikuna – Domenica
The Rikuna Project is an outreach initiative aimed at bringing scientific research and education to underserved communities in Ecuador. By fostering collaboration between scientists and local populations, the program provides access to cutting-edge knowledge and hands-on learning experiences. Through workshops, demonstrations, and interactive sessions, The Rikuna Project seeks to inspire a new generation of thinkers and problem-solvers. Its mission is to bridge the gap between academia and remote communities, making science more accessible and impactful in diverse regions. Excellence in Outreach, Service, and Diversity Award | Physics | Illinois
POINT VR – Chloe
Physics Outreach and Instruction through New Technologies (POINT) is an outreach program that is part of the ICASU center aimed at teaching middle and high school students the basic principles of general relativity using virtual reality (VR). For more information, please visit https://icasu.illinois.edu/outreach/point-vr.
UIUC Observatory – Freddy P.
The University of Illinois owns a small observatory with an old refracting (lens based) telescope south of the quad. The observatory is a national historic landmark originally constructed in 1896, and is no longer used for research purposes, but it is used for astronomy courses. PhD student Frederick Pardoe is one of several students trained to run the observatory for these courses. In the beginning of the semester, observing sessions are held during the night and students look at objects such as Jupiter, Saturn, and the Moon. Towards the end of the semester sessions are held during the day and students look through special filters, which let them see prominences and dark spots on the sun. These phenomena are a consequence of Magneto-Hydrodynamics, which is also important in the behavior in neutron stars and accretion disks around black holes.
