News and announcements

Four University of Victoria (UVic) scholars, including our department's own Dr. Sara Ellison, are being recognized by the Royal Society of Canada (RSC), one of the nation’s highest academic honours. As Canada’s national academy of scholars, artists and scientists, the RSC elects members through a peer-reviewed process that recognizes exceptional achievement and outstanding contributions to research, the arts, humanities, sciences and public life.

A collection of small icy bodies orbiting the Sun beyond Neptune is helping University of Victoria (UVic) researchers better understand how the planets in our Solar System were formed. Two complementary papers recently published in The Astronomical Journal revealed the findings of the deepest survey of Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs) to date, where researchers investigated TNO colour, size and orbit. The study was conducted by Marielle Eduardo, a UVic PhD student, Wesley Fraser, an adjunct professor at UVic and research officer at the National Research Council of Canada, and their international collaborators. Eduardo explains the TNO findings.

The Navier-Stokes equations, first developed in the 19th century, are enormously successful at predicting how fluids flow and swirl, but they fail to account for the existence of swarms of microscopic bits that make up matter. Now physicists have a theory that does. It is the fruit of a 20-year effort to rebuild the theory of fluids from the ground up. Along the way, physicists have come up with a whole new way of defining what it means to be a fluid, based on fundamental properties known as symmetries, and have shown that the Navier-Stokes equations are a consequence of symmetries, which explains why the equations take the forms that they do. Dr. Kristan Jensen, a physicist at the University of Victoria, has contributed to this effort through the study of black holes.

The Department of Physics & Astronomy is pleased to celebrate the remarkable success of our faculty in the latest Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) funding round. Out of the $8.76 million awarded across the Faculty of Science, Physics & Astronomy researchers secured $3,954,798 across 13 projects.

TEDxVictoria will bring environmental innovators, academic leaders, artists and boundary-pushers to the Farquhar stage on Oct. 7 for its 2026 event, with the theme “Uncharted.” Twelve speakers for the popular event were announced Wednesday, and five are from UVic. Of those five, two are from the Department of Physics & Astronomy.

Kiana Gallagher grew up in Prince George, BC, and chose UVic sight unseen, arriving on campus for the very first time on move-in day. She will graduate with a double major in physics and computer science this spring. Then she heads straight to the University of Toronto to pursue a master’s degree in medical biophysics.

Kiana Gallagher grew up in Prince George, BC, and chose UVic sight unseen, arriving on campus for the very first time on move-in day. She will graduate with a double major in physics and computer science this spring. Then she heads straight to the University of Toronto to pursue a master’s degree in medical biophysics.

Dr. Thomas Baker, Canada Research Chair in Quantum Computing for Modeling of Molecules and Materials at the University of Victoria, was recently featured on the Impact Quantum podcast. In the episode, Dr. Baker analyzed the current landscape of quantum technology, evaluating its profound potential to advance fields such as medicine, artificial intelligence, and materials science. He also provided expert insight into the primary scientific and technical challenges that currently prevent widespread industry adoption.

University of Victoria researchers have been awarded $15.2 million from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) for equipment and instruments to advance research related to medical imaging, climate change and the deep-sea floor. 

Dr. Wes Fraser, an observational astronomer at the University of Victoria and the Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Centre, will make a presentation, called The Golden Age of Astronomy: New and Upcoming Telescope Projects, at an event hosted by the Nanaimo Astronomy Society on May 28 at the Beban Park Social Centre, beginning at 7 p.m.

Dr. Arif Babul has been awarded the 2026 Carlyle S. Beals Award for outstanding scientific achievement presented by the Canadian Astronomical Society. Please join us in congratulating him on this incredible accomplishment!

The Department of Physics and Astronomy extends its enthusiastic congratulations to Dr. Pavel Kovtun on being awarded the prestigious 2026 CAP-CRM Prize in Theoretical and Mathematical Physics.

The Department is thrilled to extend its warmest congratulations to Annabelle Czihaly (MSc '25) on receiving the prestigious 2025 Allan Carswell Physics Educator Scholarship in recognition of her excellent academic record and her strong commitment to physics education and mentorship.

This investment supports the province’s “Look West” strategy to grow targeted sectors, including technology, AI and quantum, and life science.

University of Victoria Physics & Astronomy professor, Dr. Geoff Steeves provides insight into the final stages of the Artemis II mission as the crew prepares for a high-speed return to Earth.

The EMBERS I study, led by UVic graduate student Ben Rasmussen, conducted the first uniform analysis of atomic and molecular gas in a large sample of starburst galaxies; a rare phenomenon that is difficult to study.

Jon Willis, University of Victoria professor of physics and astronomy, will be presenting his talk "The Pale Blue Data Point: An Earth-based Perspective on the Search for Alien Life" on Thursday, April 23, at 7:00 p.m. at the Beban Park Social Centre.

The voyage of the 3I/ATLAS comet in December 2025 sparked new questions about our solar system—and unlocked a longing for cosmic meaning.

The eyes of the world are on the launchpad as NASA prepares for Artemis II, the first crewed mission to the Moon in over half a century. Our own Dr. Geoff Steeves (Physics and Astronomy) recently sat down with CBC’s Gregor Craigie on 'On The Island' to share his insights on this historic milestone.

Laura Buchanan, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Victoria and Nanaimo Astronomy Society’s guest speaker for the society’s upcoming monthly meeting, is one of the people who study icy rocks known as Trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs), and will talk about how icy bits orbiting the solar system can provide clues to its origin and formation when she presents Space Rocks! Studying the Icy Building Blocks in our Outer Solar System.

For decades, astronomers have known that a massive, invisible "cosmic web" connects every galaxy in the universe—acting as the scaffolding for all existence. But while we've had the mathematical "map," we’ve never actually seen the "pavement." Enter MOTHRA: a radical, "thousand-eyed" telescope composed of 1,140 telephoto lenses currently rising in the Chilean desert. This innovative project, featuring insights from our very own Dr. Julio Navarro, is designed to capture the first-ever direct images of this hidden cosmic skeleton.

On this episode, we're chatting with Julie Claveau, a UVic Physics and Astronomy graduate who manages Earth Observation satellite programs and previously worked as Canada’s deputy mission manager for the James Webb Telescope.

Dr. Magdalena Bazalova-Carter has been awarded the 'Silver Medal for Excellence in Research' in the 2025 REACH Awards. Please join us in congratulating her on this outstanding achievement!

Dr. Geoff Steeves, an Associate Teaching Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at UVic, joins Mornings with Ryan & Lisa on CFAX 1070. Dr. Steeves shares advice for how to view the lunar eclipse and provides insight on the delays for the highly anticipated Artemis II launch.

The University of Victoria has announced its 2026 Distinguished Alumni Award recipients, recognizing a select group of graduates for their "remarkable achievements" and community impact. Among this year's prestigious honorees is Luc Simard, who has been awarded the Presidents' Alumni Award.

Advances in supercomputing have made solving a long-standing astronomical conundrum possible: How can we explain the changes in the chemical composition at the surface of red giant stars as they evolve?   For decades, researchers have been unsure exactly how the changing chemical composition at the centre of a red giant star, caused by nuclear burning, connects to changes in composition at the surface. A stable layer acts as a barrier between the star’s interior and the outer connective envelope, and how elements cross that layer remained a mystery.   In a recent Nature Astronomy paper, researchers at the University of Victoria’s (UVic) Astronomy Research Centre (ARC) and the University of Minnesota solved the problem. 

NASA’s Artemis II mission, a key step toward returning humans to the Moon, has been delayed until at least March 6 due to a hydrogen leak discovered during pre-launch testing. UVic physics and astronomy professor Geoff Steeves says the delay is not unusual and reflects careful safety checks during a critical “wet dress rehearsal.” The mission, which includes Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, will test new spacecraft systems and marks a major milestone in deep-space exploration since humans last traveled beyond low Earth orbit more than 50 years ago.

As detectors and sensors and instruments of all kinds become increasingly sensitive, research generates orders of magnitude more data than ever. Scientists have developed methods and infrastructure to transfer those vast quantities of data more quickly, says Randall Sobie, research scientist at the Institute of Particle Physics, of which the University of Victoria (UVic) is a key member. Now, UVic researchers have labelled the data and—critically—proved that the labels did not slow down the process. 

Thomas Baker, physicist, chemist and Canada Research Chair in Quantum Computing for Modelling of Molecules and Materials, is building Canada’s quantum expertise. Although quantum theory is a century old, quantum applications are still fledgling. So, Baker is developing algorithms for materials and technologies that can simulate the benefits that scientists are aiming for in quantum computers — the incomparable speed, the exceptional data capacity, the relatively modest physical size.

According to popular media, the search for alien life involves advanced technology, space exploration and sometimes even government conspiracies and secret programs. But according to University of Victoria (UVic) astronomer Jon Willis, author of "The Pale Blue Data Point: An Earth-Based Perspective on the Search for Alien Life", the search for alien life actually begins right in our own backyard.

University of Victoria (UVic) physicist Dominique Trischuk studies some of the tiniest pieces of the universe, particles so small they’re invisible to even the most powerful microscopes. But while her focus is on the minuscule, her questions, and the tools she’s using to answer them, are anything but small.

A team of researchers at the University of Victoria (UVic) have achieved a major breakthrough in electron microscopy that will allow scientists to visualize atomic-scale structures with unprecedented clarity using lower-cost and lower-energy microscopes than ever before.

Dr. Ruobing Dong has been elected to the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists in recognition of his pioneering research on exoplanets and planetary origins. This honour is one of the highest recognitions for early- to mid-career scholars in Canada.

The excavation of the colossal underground cavern that will house Hyper-Kamiokande, a next-generation neutrino detector in Japan was completed on July 31, 2025.

Congratulations to Akshara Viswanathan, who was 1 of 3 outstanding candidates to be awarded the Gruber Fellowship Award for 2025, an award which supports the research of early career researchers.

UVic researchers among Global CERN Teams Awarded 2025 Breakthrough Prize for Expanding Frontiers of Particle Physics.

Congratulations to Jess Speedie, who was announced today as one of the 8 outstanding post-doctoral scientists to be honoured the '51 Pegasi b Fellow Award' for 2025!

Dr. William Thompson of ARC & NRC-Herzberg was named as the recipient of the 2025 CASCA Plaskett Medal & NRC Plaskett Fellowship for the most outstanding doctoral thesis in astronomy or astrophysics.

Dr. Alan McConnachie of ARC & NRC-Herzberg was named as the recipient of the 2025 Peter G. Martin award for mid-career achievement.

A team of Astronomy Research Centre researchers, led by University of Victoria PhD candidate Dori Blakely, have used the James Webb Space Telescope to capture an unprecedented look at planet formation.