Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences

Daniel Lysak, a PhD student in the department of physical and environmental sciences at U of T Scarborough, has been recognized with a Dean's Doctoral Excellence Scholarship.

The annual prize, valued at $25,000, is awarded by the Faculty of Arts & Science to a PhD student whose academic excellence is matched by their contributions to the community.

Lysak's research involves using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to study environmental stress at the molecular level. The author of several groundbreaking articles, he has also been a longtime advocate for graduate students.

“Daniel has been working on some of the most challenging interdisciplinary research and his efforts have consistently led to world-class publications,” says his doctoral supervisor, Professor Andre Simpson.

The recipient of numerous academic awards, Lysak says the Dean's Doctoral Excellence Scholarship is particularly meaningful given the often solitary nature of his work. “Graduate school involves a lot of independent work,” he says. “It is often hard to tell if you are doing a good job, which leads to self-doubt and a kind of mental struggle. So an award like this is very encouraging, and it’s truly a great honour."

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Diana Valencia receives Guggenheim Fellowship

siddiq22 — Fri, 21 Jul 2023 16:35:26 +0000

Diana Valencia receives Guggenheim Fellowship

Research & Innovation

siddiq22 Fri, 07/21/2023 - 12:35

Faculty

Scarborough

Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences

Guggenheim Fellowships

University of Toronto Scarborough

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Diana Valencia (supplied photo)

Astrophysicist Diana Valencia has received a 2023 Guggenheim Fellowship for her research on what makes up planets.

An associate professor in the department of physical and environmental sciences at the University of Toronto Scarborough, Valencia was among the 171 fellows honoured with the prestigious award in April.

About 3,000 researchers, scholars and artists apply for the award each year. Valencia was the only winner in the category Astronomy – Astrophysics.

“I am a woman of colour and the U of T Scarborough campus is so diverse that I want to showcase that. I want to show this is something that people from all walks of careers and life can achieve,” Valencia says.

Working with multiple teams, Valencia is leading the analysis of first-of-its-kind data: measurements of low-mass exoplanets and stars that are precise and consistent enough to explore the connection between the composition of stars and planets.

The study showcases her multidisciplinary approach, combining geophysics with astrophysics, that has distinguished her as a leader in the field.

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U of T Scarborough researchers receive Governor General’s Innovation Award

lanthierj — Wed, 28 Jun 2023 18:34:28 +0000

U of T Scarborough researchers receive Governor General’s Innovation Award

Research & Innovation

lanthierj Wed, 06/28/2023 - 14:34

Faculty

Alumni

Scarborough

Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences

Governor General

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(L-R) David McLagan, Carl Mitchell and Frank Wania (supplied images)

Researchers from the University of Toronto Scarborough who developed an innovative air sampler that can monitor mercury pollution without using electricity or gas have won a Governor General’s Innovation Award.

The award celebrates excellence in innovation across all sectors in Canada and is given to individuals or teams whose innovations are “truly exceptional, transformative and positive in their impact on quality of life in Canada.”

Professors Carl Mitchell and Frank Wania of the department of physical and environmental sciences and former grad student David McLagan – now an assistant professor at Queen’s University – designed, developed and tested the Mercury Passive Air Sampler (MerPAS), which has been commercialized and is now being used in Canada and around the world.

Unlike active air samplers that rely on electricity and a supply of gas to run, MerPAS uses the natural movement of air and a carbon material to capture airborne mercury.

The real benefit of this design is that it can be used with almost no training and can be deployed in remote locations around the world, says Mitchell, who is an expert on pollution and mercury cycling in the environment.

“We are really pleased with the performance of MerPAS. For a long time, we were confident that it was going to be broadly useful and beneficial, so it’s really satisfying that others hold our work in high regard,” he says.

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Governor General's Innovation Award

Myrna Simpson recognized with Clair C. Patterson Award

lanthierj — Tue, 21 Feb 2023 17:23:10 +0000

Myrna Simpson recognized with Clair C. Patterson Award

Research & Innovation

lanthierj Tue, 02/21/2023 - 12:23

Faculty

Scarborough

Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences

University of Toronto Scarborough

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Myrna Simpson (photo by Ken Jones)

Myrna Simpson, a professor in the department of physical and environmental sciences at the University of Toronto Scarborough, is this year’s recipient of the Clair C. Patterson Award from the Geochemical Society.

It’s the second time a U of T faculty member has received the award, which celebrates innovative breakthrough research in the field of environmental geochemistry.

“Having two U of T faculty recently recognized with this award really demonstrates that U of T is a leader in environmental geochemistry,” Simpson says, noting University Professor Barbara Sherwood Lollar received the award in 2019.

Simpson’s early research focused on developing methods to unravel complex environmental processes at the molecular level to better understand how climate change and other human-caused activities were fundamentally changing the environment.

Over the past 15 years, her lab has used a series of innovative techniques, including nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectrometry, to address knowledge gaps related to global environmental change, pollution and long-term storage of used nuclear fuel.

“I am particularly proud of how my group has been able to provide new insight into geochemical processes in the environment and uncover the ‘why’ behind so many processes. Knowing the ‘why’ means we are better prepared for protecting the Earth,” says Simpson.

It’s the latest in a series of honours for Simpson, who also becomes a fellow of the Geochemical Society. The Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Integrative Molecular Biogeochemistry, Simpson recently received the DIMA Award from the Chemical Institute of Canada and last year was a co-recipient of the Sir George Stokes Award.

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Diana Valencia recognized with Paulo Farinella Prize

lanthierj — Wed, 03 Nov 2021 15:43:10 +0000

Diana Valencia recognized with Paulo Farinella Prize

Research & Innovation

lanthierj Wed, 11/03/2021 - 11:43

Faculty

Scarborough

Paulo Farinella Prize

Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences

Women in STEM

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(Photo courtesy of Diana Valencia)

The University of Toronto Scarborough’s Diana Valencia has been awarded a Paulo Farinella Prize for her pioneering work on exoplanets.

Valencia was this year’s co-recipient of the prestigious European research award, for her contributions to our understanding of the interior structure and dynamics of terrestrial and super-Earth exoplanets.

“I have seen the field grow from not knowing anyone else studying these planets when I was a PhD student, to a flourishing research field attracting numerous young scientists,” said Valencia, an associate professor in the department of physical and environmental sciences.

“It feels particularly special to be recognized in the research field I helped to grow from the beginning.”

Valencia was one of the first scientists to combine geophysics and astrophysics to study exoplanets. She developed the first interior model and first mass-radius relationship for rocky exoplanets (1-10 Earth masses). Her exploration into the possibility of plate tectonics on super-Earths spurred a lively debate in the field that continues today.

She has also explored the composition of these planets, which has been essential for comparing them to Earth and other exoplanets. Her work on exoplanet GJ 1214b, in particular, has inspired atmospheric observations of super-Earths and mini-Neptunes to better determine their composition.

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PhD student recognized for academic achievement and potential to improve society

lanthierj — Wed, 09 Oct 2019 19:13:30 +0000

PhD student recognized for academic achievement and potential to improve society

Academic Achievement

lanthierj Wed, 10/09/2019 - 15:13

Students

Scarborough

Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences

Graduate Students

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Megan Sheremata (left) works with local community members, such as research associate Annie Novalinga (photo courtesy of Megan Sheremata)

PhD candidate Megan Sheremata has won a $15,000 award that recognizes women in the U.S. and Canada pursuing a doctorate-level degree.

The PEO Scholar Award recognizes women for high academic achievement and their potential to have a positive impact on society.

For her doctoral research, Sheremata, a student at U of T Scarborough, collaborates with four Inuit communities in eastern Hudson Bay: Kuujjuaraapik; Umiujaq; Inukjuak of Nunavik (the Inuit territory of Northern Quebec) and Sanikiluaq, on the Belcher Islands of Nunavut. Her work focuses on Inuit knowledge of environmental change, with the goal of mobilizing Inuit knowledge so that policy-makers and researchers can better support Inuit priorities in the region.

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