Australian wins coveted ESO Summer Studentship

AAL would like to congratulate Australian student, Katy Proctor, who was recently granted one of the coveted ESO Summer Studentship positions for 2020. Katy, who is currently studying a Masters at the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) in WA, was selected as one of just six recipients for the studentship from almost 300 applicants based in Europe, Chile and Australia.

Katy hopes to use the studentship to further her research in galaxy formation and evolution, which up until now has largely focused on simulations. Now, she will be able to expand her horizons observationally via the ESO telescopes and instruments that will be available to her via this opportunity. 

“I’m really excited by the opportunity to broaden my skillset and work on galaxy formation and evolution in an observational context at a world-leading institution.” 

Katy’s project, entitled ‘Distant galaxies in high definition – How starbursts and black holes impact the gas in galaxies’ will make use of ALMA CO data to create a library of the sizes and shapes of molecular gas regions in galaxies. The library will then be used to investigate how galaxies at high redshift are impacted by energetic events such as extreme starbursts or supermassive black holes.
Due to current travel restrictions, Katy’s research and participation in all ESO-based activities will be held online.

The opportunity for Australia to participate in the Summer Studentship program is due to the ESO Strategic Partnership, which AAL oversees on behalf of the Australian Government. AAL would like to congratulate Katy once more on her success and wish her the best of luck for her ESO Summer Studentship. 

For information on how to apply for future ESO Studentships, or for any other information related to the ESO Strategic Partnership, please contact AAL Program Manager, Dr Stuart Ryder.