Rebecca Hamel

Rebecca is a third-year astrophysics undergraduate student at Saint Mary’s University(SMU) in Halifax Nova Scotia. From a young age, she has had a deep curiosity for the vastness of space, and has nurtured that feeling ever since. Along with this, Rebecca also had an interest in public speaking, leadership, and teaching. After completing the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma program in 2020, she decided to pursue a career in astrophysics, with the hopes of uncovering the secrets of the cosmos. She spent her summer in 2021 working as a presenter in astronomy at the Parc National du Mont-Mégantic, where she had the opportunity to hone her skills not only in telescope operation, but also in science communication. During the summer of 2022, Rebecca worked alongside Dr. Vincent Hénault-Brunet as both a research assistant, and a public outreach liaison within the Cosmological Advanced Space Telescope in Optical and ultraviolet Research (CASTOR) team.

Rebecca is so grateful to have the opportunity this summer to work alongside Dr. Nathalie Ouellette on various public outreach projects within iREx, including hosting various events such as festivals and training programs. Next year, Rebecca is looking forward to completing her honours thesis, as well as continuing her work with the CASTOR mission. She hopes to continue her studies in astrophysics at the graduate level in the upcoming years.