23 December 2009

Physics expert shares skills in Oz

Expertise in black holes has led a professor at the University of Sheffield to be chosen by the Australian Institute of Physics to spread her knowledge `Down Under.´

Professor Elizabeth Winstanley, from the Department of Applied Mathematics, was awarded the `Women in Physics Lecture Tour 2010´ accolade, which celebrates the contribution of women to advances in physics.

The role, which was given to Professor Winstanley on the basis of her research on black holes and her skills in science communication, will see her embark upon a tour of all six Australian states, together with the Australian Capital Territory, giving school lectures, public lectures and research colloquia.

The talented professor, who works in the field of mathematical and theoretical physics and is an active member of the Uk´s Institue of Physics, was picked for the role following a study trip to Australia earlier this year. During the trip, Professor Winstanley held a public lecture in the Physics Department of the Australian National University in Canberra and was nominated for the 2010 touring role after impressing institute members with her research.

While on tour, Professor Winstanley will be lecturing on `Black holes, spaghetti and explosions,´ `Black holes at the Large Hadron Collider´ and `What can neutrinos tell us about quantum gravity.´ The aim of the lectures will be to increase awareness among students and their families of the possibilities offered by continuing to study physics.

Previous UK winners of this award from the Australian Institute of Physics, which aims to promote the role of Physics in research, education, industry and the community, include Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell FRS and Professor Christine Davies OBE (University of Glasgow).

Professor Elizabeth Winstanley, from the Department of Applied Mathematics at the University of Sheffield, said: "I am honoured to have been selected as the Australian Institute of Physics Women in Physics Lecturer for 2010. It is a wonderful opportunity to share my fascination for black hole physics and I hope to pass on my enthusiasm to the next generation of physicists."