American Astronomical Society honours McGill astrophysicist

McGill astrophysicist Vicky Kaspi is among 31 people to have been named new Fellows of the American Astronomical Society (AAS), the major organization of professional astronomers in North America. Kaspi was honoured for her “innovative work in the field of neutron stars and pulsars.”

The physics professor and Director of the McGill Space Institute was cited for her “innovative work in the field of neutron stars and pulsars.” Kaspi’s research is focused on neutron stars and their utility for constraining basic physics. More recently, she has also made fundamental discoveries on Fast Radio Bursts.

The AAS press release.says the new Fellows are being recognized for “original research and publication, innovative contributions to astronomical techniques or instrumentation, significant contributions to education and public outreach, and noteworthy service to astronomy and to the Society itself.”

The AAS Fellows program was established in 2019, to recognize AAS members for their contributions toward the Society’s mission of enhancing and sharing humanity’s scientific understanding of the universe. Fellows may be cited for original research and publication, innovative contributions to astronomical techniques or instrumentation, significant contributions to education and public outreach, and noteworthy service to astronomy.

This is the most recent in a long list of honours and awards for Kaspi.

In 2020 alone, she won the Royal Society of the United Kingdom’s Bakerian Medal, made the Clarivate Analytics’ Highly Cited Researchers 2020 List and was named a Distinguished James McGill Professor. Kaspi and her colleagues on the CHIME Radio Telescope team also won a 2020 Governor General’s Innovation Award.

Other honours include the Steacie Award, Fellow of the Royal Society, member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, the Killam Prize, the Herzberg Gold Medal, and being named Companion to the Order of Canada, in addition to many others.

Source:

Neale McDevitt
Editor, McGill Reporter