Rebecca Bowler

Rebecca Bowler

Dr

 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3917-1678
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Personal profile

Overview

I am an Ernest Rutherford Fellow studying the formation and evolution of galaxies at Cosmic Dawn.

My research involves studying some of the early galaxies that formed within the first billion years in the life of the Universe.  I use observations in the optical and near-infrared to detect galaxies at high redshifts (z > 6.5).  In particular, by looking in large degree-scale ground-based surveys it is possible to constrain the number of rare bright galaxies.  To find out more take a look at this article I wrote for the RAS Astronomy & Geophysics magazine.

I am passionate and committed to making physics and science accessible to all.  Looking around the average Physics department in the UK there is still work to be done to increase diversity, and it is everybody's responsibility to work towards a more inclusive community.

Biography

Ernest Rutherford Fellow 2021-2022 Dept. of Physics, University of Oxford

Glasstone Research Fellow 2018-2021 Dept. of Physics, University of Oxford

Junior Research Fellow New College 2018-2021 University of Oxford

Hintze Research Fellow Dept. of Physics 2015-2018 University of Oxford

Nicholas Kurti Junior Research Fellow Brasenose College 2015-2018 University of Oxford

Postdoctoral Research Assistant 2014-2015 Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh

PhD Astronomy Institute of Astronomy, University of Edinburgh Supervised by Prof. James Dunlop and Dr. Ross McLure 2010-2014 
Title: The evolution of bright star-forming galaxies in the first billion years

MSci Natural Sciences: Experimental and Theoretical Physics 2006-2010 University of Cambridge

Prizes and awards

 

Henry Mosley Prize and Medal 2021, Institute of Physics (UK)

Tinsley Visiting Scholar 2020, University of Texas at Austin

Winton Award 2018, Royal Astronomical Society (UK) awarded annually for a postdoctoral fellow whose career has shown the most promising development

Block Award 2016, Aspen Centre for Physics (US) for a “promising young physicist” at the conference ‘The Reionization Epoch: New Insights and Future Prospects’.

Scottish University Physics Alliance Cormack Poster Prize 2012 at ‘SUPA’ conference in Edinburgh

Research interests

Below you can find links to several recorded talks about my research interests.  The first is a recent short (10 minute) contributed conference talk at the brilliant SAZERAC meeting.  The second is a seminar at the level of first year PhD students, while the third (the prize talk I gave at the RAS) was to a more general audience of RAS members.

Contributed talk at the high-redshift SAZERAC conference (2021)

Seminar for 'Galaxy Fidelity' Lecture series (2021)

Royal Astronomical Society Winton prize talk (2018)

Teaching

Masters teaching

  • Radiation and Matter a final year course as part of the Edinburgh Astrophysics degree.  I wrote extended solutions in Latex including 3D visualisations

Undergraduate teaching

  • Optics I tutored first year Optics at New College from 2016-2018, which involved designing and giving hour-long small-group tutorials. 
  • Introductory Astronomy a first year course taught in workshop style classes.  This class was open to students in different degrees.
  • Astrophysics a third year course focusing on Astrophysics basics at the University of Edinburgh.
  • Maths for Physics a first year course taught in large workshops style classes.
  • Scientific Programming and Data Analysis a lab course on computer programming performed in Java.

Impact

There is a lack of diversity within many UK Physics departments, be this diversity in ethnic backgrounds, gender, people with a disability and those from the LGBTQ+ communities, we are missing extraordinary talent and must work towards a more inclusive subject.  The reasons for the current are complex and intersectional, and I refer you to the many articles published by the IoP for further details.  

Fortunately there are things that everyone, but particularly schools and Universities, can do to work towards a more equitable Physics.  I find the concept of "science capital" useful in understanding why some people choose to pursue science while other equally qualified people do not.  

Despite being the "largest minority", there is still a lack of women working in physics.  Below are details of some of the outreach events I have been part of to encourage girls to study science:

Marie Curious A day of talks and workshops for girls aged 11-14 who are interested in seeing what STEM has to offer.  More information here

Big Questions in Astronomy Joint with the Museum for the History of Science, this (online in 2021) workshop is centred around a panel discussion with female researchers in Astronomy and Space Science.  More information here

Oxford Women in Physics Society The society reaches 100s of members of the department through fortnightly events and a mentoring scheme (I was president from 2016-2018).  More information here

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