Student profiles
Studying science at ANU is a lifetime experience. Find out why directly from our students.
The PhD is a great opportunity, you learn problem solving, presenting and how to form collaborations among many other skills.
The highest point of my research was traveling to the Cerra Tololo Inter-American Observatory near La Serena in Chile. Nothing beats being at the telescope and observing your data, seeing the raw results straight from source.
The education and research environment offered makes it easy to become a good scientist who can conduct independent research, communicate the science and share the passion with the world.
I am aiming for an academic career in Astrophysics. At the moment, my thoughts are directed towards Chile and their large telescopes, where I'd be keen to stay for a while as a postdoc.
I have had the opportunity to observe with the largest optical telescope (AAT) and at other facilities in Australia. I've learnt about working with stellar spectra, have gained programming skills, and have been collaborating with overseas-based experts in the field thoughout my project.
We are running simulations to try to better understand the connection between Gamma-ray Bursts and Supernovae. I am also interested in gravitational lensing, black holes and gravitational waves.
Astronomical sleuthing is all in a day's work for Christine Nicholls, who is attempting to solve the mystery of Long Secondary Periods in red giant stars.
Achieving the best possible resolution and contrast in astronomical imaging allows the probing of fine-scale structure in unprecedented detail, providing an insight into some of the smallest events occurring in the universe from which the most violent, energetic and easily observable events are intimately related.
Finding terrestrial planets (not just planets) is the next big initiative in astronomy and the next big step towards understanding the Earth.