Exclusively for PS Alumni: Celebrate Physical Sciences and Alumni Hall of Fame
Alumni of UCI Physical Sciences are invited to this year’s Celebrate Physical Sciences on Saturday, September 24 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Celebrate Physical Sciences will be a fun-filled morning with UCI faculty where they will share research advancements on two of our school's flagship projects: The Future of Energy and the Environment and The Future of Fundamental Science. We will also honor four Physical Sciences alumni for their exceptional accomplishments during the Alumni Hall of Fame ceremony. This is a great opportunity to visit campus, reconnect with faculty, and network with fellow alumni.
Agenda
8:30 a.m. - Check-in & Breakfast
9:00 a.m. - Welcome by Dean James Bullock
9:10 a.m. - The Future of Fundamental Science featuring Professor Kevork Abazajian and Dr. Vivian U
10:10 a.m. - Break
10:25 a.m. - The Future of Energy and the Environment featuring Professors Steven J. Davis and Jane W. Baldwin
11:30 a.m. - Lunch and Alumni Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
1:00 p.m. - Event concludes
Faculty Presentations
Kevork N. Abazajian
In the past 30 years, humanity’s understanding of the cosmos has undergone a revolution in data that has firmed-up physical cosmology to high-precision. The constituents of the Universe and its geometry are now measured to percent level or better. But, big questions remain, like the nature of dark matter. Professor Abazajian will highlight how his work at UCI will help us unlock the mystery of dark matter, using upcoming data from the James Webb Space Telescope.
Vivian U
How do black holes grow and merge, and how do they impact their host galaxies? Interacting galaxies hold the key to solving open questions about the co-evolution of supermassive black holes and galaxies in the context of galaxy evolution. In this talk, Dr. U will discuss prominent black hole discoveries from observational work and present her latest research results about the heart of galaxy mergers conducted using the Keck Telescopes and JWST.
Steven J. Davis
The world’s climate is at a turning point: technologies that can greatly reduce our greenhouse gas emissions are available and affordable. Professor Davis will introduce some work he is doing to identify and assess the potential of other new technologies and approaches that could help to reduce energy- and food-related emissions and remove carbon from the atmosphere, including storing energy with hydrogen, producing food without agriculture, and farming seaweed.
Jane W. Baldwin
In the face of ongoing climate change and ever more frequent weather disasters, the need for human adaptation has become increasingly clear. Unfortunately, there is often a large gap between the temporal and spatial scales at which climate change is understood, and the scales relevant for people and environmental management decisions. Professor Baldwin will discuss how her work at UCI bridges the gap between climate dynamics and health and social sciences to better understand the human impacts of climate change.