STFC Introduction to Astronomy Summer School 2024
The Astrophysics Research Centre at Keele University is hosting the 2024 STFC Introduction to Astronomy Summer School from 2nd to 6th September 2024, with a welcome reception on the evening of Sunday 1st September.
The Summer School is open to (but not restricted to) all new PhD students in astrophysics. The Summer School will include lectures on a broad range of topics from Solar Physics to Planetary, Stellar and Galactic Evolution, all the way to Gravitational Waves. There will also be sessions on programming, public engagement, careers, wellness, PhD tips and tricks, as well as on the carbon footprint of astronomy!
Sunday 1 September
| Time | Title | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 18.30 | Welcome BBQ on Keele Hall lawn |
Monday 2 September
| Time | Title | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 09.00 | Welcome & Introduction | Dr Nick Wright (Keele) |
| 09.15 | Careers in Astrophysics & PhD tips | Dr Nick Wright (Keele) |
| 10.30 | Coffee break | |
| 11.00 | Star formation and young stars | Dr John Ilee (Leeds) |
| 12.00 | Transients and time domain astrophysics | Dr Joe Lyman (Warwick) |
| 13.00 | Lunch | |
| 14.00 | Galaxy formation and evolution | Prof. Nina Hatch (Nottingham) |
| 15.00 | Coffee break | |
| 15.30 | Star formation on galactic scales | Dr Ana Duarte Cabral (Cardiff University) |
| 16.30 | Brown dwarfs | Dr Sarah Casewell (Leicester) |
| 17.30 | Close |
Tuesday 3 September
| Time | Title | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 09.00 | Python workshop | Prof. Rob Jeffries (Keele) & Dr Barry Smalley (Keele) |
| 11.00 | Coffee break | |
| 11.30 | Dark matter | Dr David Marsh (King’s College London) |
| 12.30 | Lunch | |
| 14.00 | Helioseismology | Dr Rachel Howe (Birmingham) |
| 15.00 | Coffee break | |
| 15.30 | Carbon footprint of astronomy and astrophysics | Dr Beatriz Mingo (OU) |
| 16.30 | Tour of Keele’s renewable energy plant | Matthew Dean (Keele) |
| 17.30 | Close | |
| 19.30 | Social event at the Keele Postgraduate Association (KPA) Clubhouse |
Wednesday 4 September
| Time | Title | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 09.00 | Active galactic nuclei | Prof. Leah Morabito (Durham) |
| 10.00 | Astrobiology | Prof. Lewis Dartnell (University of Westminster) |
| 11.00 | Coffee break | |
| 11.30 | The Galactic Centre | Prof. Steve Longmore (LJMU) |
| 12.30 | Lunch | |
| 14.00 | Public engagement | Dr Becky Smethurst (Oxford) |
| 15.00 | Coffee break | |
| 15.30 | Open research | Dr Masi Noor (Keele) |
| 16.30 | Dark energy | Prof. Tom Collett (Portsmouth) |
| 17.30 | Close |
Thursday 5 September
| Time | Title | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 09.00 | Binary systems | Dr John Southworth (Keele) |
| 10.00 | Exoplanet detection | Dr Annelies Mortier (Birmingham) |
| 11.00 | Coffee break | |
| 11.30 | Exoplanet atmospheres | Prof. Nikku Madhusudhan (Cambridge) |
| 12.30 | Lunch | |
| 14.00 | Equality, diversity and inclusion in astrophysics | Dr Sheila Kanani (RAS / Lancaster) |
| 15.00 | Coffee break | |
| 15.30 | Wellness and imposter phenomenon | Dr Órla Murray (Northumbria) |
| 16.30 | The first stars and galaxies | Dr Eloy de Lera Acedo (Cambridge) |
| 17.30 | Close | |
| 19.00 | Conference dinner at Keele Hall |
Friday 6 September
| Time | Title | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 09.00 | The Solar System | Dr Meg Schwamb (Queen’s Uni. Belfast) |
| 10.00 | Careers in industry | Dr Mick Salt (TÜV SÜD Nuclear Technologies) |
| 11.00 | Coffee break | |
| 11.30 | Gravitational waves and compact objects | Prof. Alberto Vecchio (Birmingham) |
| 12.30 | Close |
Code of Conduct
The STFC Introduction to Astronomy Summer School is intended to be an event for learning, networking and collaboration, for new postgraduate students to prepare for their studies and meet other new students. It is vital that all participants not only enjoy the experience but feel safe while they do so. Accordingly, all attendees at the school, be they lecturers, organisers or students, are expected to show respect and courtesy to all other attendees.
We would like to make it clear that the STFC Introduction to Astronomy Summer School will be a harassment-free environment for everyone, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, physical appearance, body size, race, nationality or religion. We will not tolerate harassment in any form.
Harassment includes offensive verbal comments related to gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion, and technology choice. It also includes the use of sexual images in public spaces, deliberate intimidation, stalking, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention.
All communication given by lecturers, conference organisers and students should be appropriate for a professional audience including people of many different backgrounds. Sexual language, jokes and imagery are not appropriate at any time.
We expect all participants to follow these rules at the school and all related social events. Participants asked to stop any harassing behaviour are expected to comply immediately. Attendees violating these rules may be asked to leave the event at the sole discretion of the conference organizers.
Above all else, please be kind.
If you wish to report an incident of any kind you can do so either by speaking directly to the organisers of this Summer School or (anonymously) using this form: https://forms.office.com/e/fpADNeBRmB.
We hope you have a wonderful time at this school.
Registration
Summer School registration form >
Registration deadline: 5pm Friday 16th August.
STFC Studentship holders and Self-Funded Postgraduates can register free-of-charge. Travel & subsistence can be claimed back using the Claim Form which will be provided on arrival, please keep all receipts.
Those in receipt of non-STFC funded studentships, postdoctoral research associates or employees of universities or other organisations can also register for a flat fee of £670 (to cover registration, accommodation for 5 nights, breakfasts, lunch, coffee breaks, and dinners each day, as well as social events and the conference dinner).
Travel and Accomodation
The Summer School will be held in the Chancellor’s Building on the main Keele University campus, with accommodation provided on campus as well. For information on how to get to
Contact
For any enquiries, please contact Dr Nick Wright (n.j.wright@keele.ac.uk).