Science Events in Vancouver
Stay up-to-date with all of the life science events taking place in Vancouver with the Science in Vancouver events calendar! From academia to industry and biotech to pharma, our events calendar is your complete source for life science conferences, symposiums, networking, and workshops in Vancouver.
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New Worlds: Discovering New Solar Systems and Habitable Planets
May 6, 2018 - 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
After 400 years of speculation, work over the past decade has established that our Solar System is not unique. Indeed, it appears that planetary systems are the rule, rather than the exception, and we have already discovered dozens of Earth-like planets in the habitable zones of nearby stars. We will first orient ourselves by discussing our place in space and time in the Universe, and then explore how we both discover new solar systems and establish the existence of other habitable worlds.
Join H.R. MacMillan Space Centre and the Columbia University Alumni Club of Vancouver for a public talk by visiting Columbia University astronomy professor Dr. David Helfand. The talk will run from 2:00-3:00pm on Sunday, May 6th and will include an opportunity for Q&A. Doors open at 1:45pm.
Speaker Bio: Dr. David Helfand
Dr. David Helfand, a faculty member at Columbia University for forty years, served nearly half of that time as Chair of the Department of Astronomy, a position he has again resumed. He also recently completed a four-year term as President of the American Astronomical Society, the professional society for astronomers, astrophysicists, planetary scientists and solar physicists in North America. He is the author of nearly 200 scientific publications and has mentored 22 PhD students, but most of his pedagogical efforts have been aimed at teaching science to non-science majors. He instituted the first change in Columbia’s Core Curriculum in 50 years by introducing science to all first-year students.
In 2005, he became involved with an effort to create Canada’s first independent, non-profit, secular university, Quest University Canada. He served as a Visiting Tutor in the University’s inaugural semester in the Fall of 2007 and was appointed President & Vice-Chancellor the following year to lead this innovative experiment in higher education. For six years in a row, Quest has been ranked #1 in North America in the National Survey of Student Engagement. He completed his term as President of Quest in the fall of 2015 and returned to Columbia, where he now heads the Committee on Innovative Teaching and Learning. His first book, “A Survival Guide to the Misinformation Age” appeared in February 2016 and came out in paperback Aug 10, 2017.
