Want to be an astrophysicist?

This week, senior students in Mr Angove’s Physics classes were treated to a visit from Class of 2017 graduate, Teagan Clarke. Teagan, who had been a student in Mr Angove’s VCE Physics class in 2017, is currently completing the final stage of her PhD in Astrophysics at Monash University.

Teagan shared details of her academic journey at Monash, beginning with the Bachelor of Science Advanced Research, with an extended major in astrophysics and a minor in mathematics. She talked about what it was like to be an undergraduate and then a postgraduate student at Monash, including life in a residential college. She offered the students insights into the transition from school to university, including tips for tackling the difficult maths required in astrophysics.

The students were interested in her research, which focuses on gravitational waves and black holes, analysing and interpreting data from the LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) projects. Teagan’s study has also provided many opportunities to travel for conferences, networking and collaboration, including trips to the USA, Japan, Canada and most capital cities in Australia.

She outlined post-study pathways in both academia and industry that students could investigate, highlighting that astrophysics is an active area of research at the moment, with many exciting innovations and theories still to be further explored.

When Teagan’s PhD is completed later this year, she will move to Princeton University in New Jersey to take up a 3-year position as a Postdoctoral Research Associate.