Pioneering Women in Space Science: Celebrating the Achievements of Parasol Scholars
It’s been a busy time for the first recipients of The Parasol Foundation Scholarship supporting women to study a Master’s in Astrophysics and Astronomy at Murray Edwards College, Cambridge.
Maria Semerkina is completing her master’s degree in Astrophysics and has received multiple offers to pursue a PhD. She is one of only five students to be offered a PhD place by the prestigious Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge. Master’s degrees are considered the vital bridge between undergraduate learning and being able to progress one’s academic career. So, hats off to Maria for her achievement.
Alongside her coursework Maria has been working on her research project exploring polluted white dwarfs and their debris disks. White dwarfs are the remnants of dead stars. A polluted white dwarf is a white dwarf that has metals in its atmosphere. The metals are believed to have come from the debris disks which surround the objects, similar to Saturn’s rings. Her research has been focused on how the physical properties of these disks affect how we observe these objects theoretically and observationally. This question has not been explored before and to be able to contribute to this research as a student is incredibly exciting. Maria will now be able to advance her research through her PhD.
Despite the demands of her course Maria has also made time to tutor GGSE students in maths at a local secondary school to help them improve their grades. She says that she found maths tough in those school years and sometimes doubted her abilities, but she persevered, and her master’s degree course has involved physics and applied mathematics.
You can read more about her time at Cambridge here
Parasol Foundation Scholar offered PhD position | Murray Edwards College
ALMUDENA VISSER VELEZ
Almudena Visser Velez took up her place to study the exciting new master’s course an MPhil in Planetary Science and Life in the Universe.
She has learned about the origins of planets, habitable environments and biospheres. One of her favourite projects has been studying the physics and chemistry of Enceladus, one of the icy moons on Saturn which are likely to be at the forefront of solar system research in the next decade. The inter-disciplinary nature of the degree has meant she has learned about collaborations across the fields of geophysics, geology, chemistry, biology alongside her first love, astrophysics.
Beyond her studies, Almudena has kept up her swimming and recently swam for the University team at the British Universities and Colleges Sports (BUCS) securing the prized Blues blazer. She will also be part of the team competing in the annual Oxford v Cambridge relay race across the English Channel! Good luck Almudena.
Almudena is keeping her options open but knows that she will pursue her love of physics in the future. She has secured a summer internship at prestigious intellectual property firm Cleveland Scott York where she will learn what it’s like to be a patent attorney working with innovators in technology from startups to spinouts and helping them patent their scientific innovations.