July 19, 2011
Professors and students from The Catholic University of America will join colleagues from other Catholic universities and the Vatican Observatory at a conference next month in Brazil to discuss their research on the universe.
Catholic University physics faculty members Duilia de Mello, associate professor and research associate with CUA's Institute for Astrophysics and Computational Sciences (IACS), and Steve Kraemer, associate professor and assistant director of IACS, will present lectures at the event. The conference, "Exploring the Nature of the Evolving Universe," will be held at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro Aug. 15 to 19.
De Mello and Kraemer are among about 50 teaching, research, and adjunct faculty members who comprise IACS, which is run out of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.
The conference in Brazil celebrates the collaboration of the International Network of Catholic Astronomical Institutions with the Vatican Observatory. Catholic University is a member of the network along with the University of Notre Dame, the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, and the Pontifical Catholic University of Santiago, Chile.
De Mello, Kraemer, and speakers from the other universities will discuss the latest research on a variety of topics related to the universe, including stellar evolution, galaxy evolution, and chemical evolution.
CUA doctoral candidates who will present their research include Sandra Blevins, Rafael Eufrasio, and Jordan Guerra.
For more information about the conference, which is co-sponsored by CUA, contact de Mello at demello@cua.edu .
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The Catholic University of America is a founding member of the International Network of Catholic Astronomical Institutions, which was established in summer 2008 for the promotion of education and research opportunities for faculty, staff, and students in astronomy and space sciences. The partnership has enabled CUA graduate students to conduct research at the Vatican Observatory.