Curriculum Vitae

Degrees

  • Ph.D. Candidate, Astrophysics, York University, Dept. of Physics & Astronomy, April 2016
  • M.Sc. Astrophysics, York University, Dept. of Physics & Astronomy, June 2011. Thesis title: Investigating Mg II Absorption in Quasar Pair Sight-Lines. Advisor: Dr. Patrick B. Hall
  • H.B.Sc. Astrophysics, McMaster University, Dept. of Physics & Astronomy, June 2007

 

Employment History

09/2007 – present      Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Physics & Astronomy, York University
01/2013 – present      Graduate Teaching Assistant, Department of Physics & Astronomy, York University
01/2013 – 03/2016     Host, Ontario Science Centre, Toronto, ON

12/2015 – 03/2016     Education Consultant, Boys and Girls Club of Canada, Toronto, ON
01/2012 – 12/2012     Researcher/Programmer – Astronomy & Space Science, Ontario Science Centre, Toronto, ON
10/2010 – 12/2011     Host, Ontario Science Centre, Toronto, ON
09/2007 – 12/2011     Graduate Teaching Assistant, Department of Physics & Astronomy, York University
09/2010 – 12/2011     Teaching and Development Graduate Assistant, Division of Natural Science, York University

09/2009 – 06/2011     Recreational Programs Assistant, Ontario Science Centre, Toronto, ON

09/2005 – 06/2007     Undergraduate Research Assistant, Department of Physics & Astronomy, McMaster University

 

Academic Honours and Awards

  • Ralph Nicholls Graduate Award in Science Communication, Dept. of Physics & Astronomy, York University, Physics and Astronomy Graduate Conference, 31 October 2014
  • Ralph Nicholls Graduate Award in Science Communication, Dept. of Physics & Astronomy, York University, Physics and Astronomy Graduate Conference, 15 October 2009
  • Honourable Mention for poster ’Investigating Mg II Absorption in Quasar Paired Sight-Lines’ presented at the annual Canadian Astronomical Society Conference (CASCA), 30 May – 2 June 2011

Scholarly and Professional Activities

  • Press Release ‘York University astrophysicists detect ultra-fast winds near supermassive black hole,’ 21 March 2016, on YorkU, Gemini Observatory, Humboldt State, PennState, Motherboard, RCI, EurekAlert, Science Daily, Scientific American, IFLScience,
  • Presented Poster ‘Monitoring Quasar Colour Variability in Stripe 82‘ at the annual Canadian Astronomical Society meeting, 8-12 June 2014
  • President and VP Finance, Physics & Astronomy Graduate Executive, Department of Physics & Astronomy, York University, September 2011 – May 2014
  • Co-Organizer, CSEE Science Communication Workshop, Genomes to/aux Biomes 2014, Montreal, 25 May 2014
  • Co-organizer, Physics & Astronomy Graduate Conference, Department of Physics & Astronomy, York University, 14 October 2010, 12 October 2011, and 25 October 2013
  • Principal Investigator, Gemini Observatory approved observing program, Spectroscopy of Photometrically Varying BAL Quasars, June 2013
  • Co-Investigator, Gemini Observatory approved observing program, Monitoring Emergent Absorption Troughs in Quasars, November 2012 & June 2013
  • Astronomy Journal Club Coordinator, Department of Physics & Astronomy, York University, May 2010 – August 2012
  • Principal Investigator, Hale 5-meter Telescope approved observing program, Spectroscopic Follow Up of Variable Quasars, May 2012
  • Presented Poster ’Monitoring Quasar Colour Variability in Stripe 82’ at the AGN Winds in Charleston meeting, 15-18 October 2011
  • VP Finance, Physics & Astronomy Graduate Executive, Department of Physics & Astronomy, York University, September 2010 – August 2011
  • Presented Poster ’Investigating Mg II Absorption in Quasar Paired Sight-Lines’ at the annual Canadian Astronomical Society Conference (CASCA), 30 May 2011 – 2 June 2011
  • Guest Lecturer, Introduction to Astronomy, Division of Natural Science, York University, 7 June 2011
  • Participant, LRP2010 Toronto Town Hall Meeting, at University of Toronto, 17 March 2010
  • Participant, Observing with ALMA Workshop, at McMaster University, 1-3 June 2009
  • Presented Poster ’Keeping a Lensed Eye on the Intergalactic Medium’ at the annual Canadian Astronomical Society Conference (CASCA), 26-29 May 2009
  • Presented talk ’Review of Giant Arcs’ at the annual Physics and Astronomy Graduate Conference, 15 October 2009
  • Co-Research Mentor for York-Seneca Summer Science and Teaching Program, July-August 2008
  • Presented talk ’Chandra X-ray Observations of Two Unusual BAL Quasars’ at the annual Physics

& Astronomy Graduate Conference, 5 August 2008

 

High School Student Research Mentoring

  • July-August 2008: with advisor Dr. Patrick B. Hall, supervised high school students Haripraneith Kugan (1 week) and Harvinderpal Ghotra (3 weeks) to identify R-band dropout objects (candidate high-redshift quasars and brown dwarfs) in the Red-Sequence Cluster Survey

 

Teaching

  • 2010-2011: Tutorial Leader, NATS 1840 Science, Technology, & the Environment • 2007-2010: Lab Demonstrator, NATS 1740 Introduction to Astronomy • 2008-2009: Lab Demonstrator, NATS 1880 Life Beyond Earth • 2007-2009: Telescope Preparation, Physics 1070 Fundamentals of Astronomy

Papers in Refereed Journals

  • ’Investigating Mg II absorption in paired quasar sight-lines,’ Rogerson, J.A., & Hall, P.B. 2011, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol 421, Issue 2, pg. 971. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.20317.x
  • ’Chandra X-ray observations of two unusual BAL quasars,’ Rogerson. J.A., Hall, P.B., Snedden, S.A., Brotherton, M.S., Anderson, S.F. 2011, New Astronomy, 16, 128-137. DOI: 10.1016/j.newast.2010.07.002

Conference Proceedings

  • ’Monitoring Quasar Colour Variability in Stripe 82,’ Rogerson, J.A., Hall, P.B., MacLeod, C. & Ivezic ́, Zˇ. 2011, in “AGN Winds in Charleston,” inpress, arxiv.org/abs/1203.2162

 

Education and Public Outreach
See my youtube channel here for interesting videos.

  • Co-producer, writer, announcer for Dept. of Physics & Astronomy weekly radio show York Universe, York University, July 2010-present. Show broadcast by www.astronomy.fm.
  • Volunteer team member York University Astronomical Observatory, 2007-present
  • Invited speaker, Pickering Naturalists Club, Talk entitled ‘A Tour of the Solar System,’ 5 June 2014
  • Co-Presenter, ‘Scientific Radio & Podcasting,’ CSEE Science Communication Workshop, Genomes to/aux Biomes 2014, Montreal, 25 May 2014, get presentation materials here.
  • Invited speaker, Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Mississauga Location, Talk entitled ‘Planet vs. Dwarf Planet?‘, 24 January 2014
  • Public talk at the Ontario Science Centre Spooky Halloween Star Party & Science Slam entitled ‘Science Slam: Alien Life,’ 31 October 2013
  • Invited speaker at the Durham Regional Astronomical Association, talk entitled ‘How Quasars Work,’ 09 October 2013
  • Public talk at the Ontario Science Centre Summer Star Party & Science Slam entitled ‘Gravity in the Extreme,’ 12 July 2013
  • Invited speaker for the Royal Ontario Museum OWLS Volunteers, talk entitled ‘Ground Control to Commander Chris,’ 17 June 2013, blog post
  • Public talk at the 2nd Annual What’s Up in Space? event, co-presented interactive demonstration of the constellation Orion, 25 May 2013, York Universe blog post
  • Invited speaker at the Let’s Talk Science! Astronomy Day, talk entitled ‘A Tour Through the Solar System,’ 19 April 2013
  • Invited speaker at the York University Astronomy Club, talk entitled ‘What your favourite galaxy may be hiding from you…,’ 12 March 2013
  • Invited speaker at the AstroNuts Kid’s Space Club, talk entitled ‘The Lesser-Known Planets: Uranus & Neptune,’ 24 Februrary 2013
  • Invited speaker at the Durham Region Astronomical Association, talk entitled ‘What your favourite galaxy may be hiding from you…,’ 10 October 2013, blog post
  • Interviewed for, and quoted in, Excalibur (York University campus newspaper) article ’A flare for disruption,’ 1 February 2012.
  • Interviewed by Global TV regarding the 23 January 2012 M9 class solar flare, 24 January 2012.
  • Invited Speaker, ’Planets beyond our Solar System: The Hunt for Earth 2,’ for Pickering Naturalists Club, 5 January 2012
  • Invited Speaker, Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Speaker’s Night. Talk entitled ’What your favourite galaxy may be hiding from you…,’ 28 September 2011
  • Co-organizer 2nd annual STARsymposium, public outreach event in concert with York University Astronomical Observatory, 18-19 March 2011
  • Guest astronomer in the ’Ask an Astronomer’ portion of One World, One Sky astronomy outreach event, Ontario Science Centre, 16 October 2010.
  • Guest on Event Horizon. Original program produced by Astronomy.FM, June 2010
  • Submitted podcast to 365 Days of Astronomy, Podcast entitled ‘The Changing Universe,’ 1 November 2010