I am thrilled to present you a packed edition of The Entangler. As I browsed the articles, two jumped out regarding the solar eclipse and the Physics Tutorial Centre. The department, the Waterloo Centre for Astrophysics, and the Faculty of Science are preparing for the total solar eclipse whose path of totality will run just south of us on April 8. I made sure the final exam for my Stars class avoided that day so I can participate at our alumni event in Niagara, which is located in the path of totality. The path of totality is the narrow shadow running across North America toward which the the Sun and the Moon are precisely aligned. The Sun will be largely but not completely covered in areas adjacent to the path, including Waterloo. So the day won’t go dark in here and no corona will be visible. We participants will convene at a winery at Niagara to talk astronomy and marvel at the eclipse. It’s going to be fun and moving as we experience one of nature’s most beautiful phenomena. I hope to see some of you there, and I hope you all can enjoy the spectacle.
I am thrilled to inform you that our new Physics Tutorial Centre is thriving. The brain child of our Associate Chair Undergraduate Studies, Brenda Lee, the Centre has served hundreds of students this year helping them build solid physics problem-solving skills. We have one of the largest Physics programs in North America and our program continues to attract diverse cohorts of talented students from Canada and abroad. The skills they are honing are essential to student success both in and beyond the classroom. I would like to thank Brenda and our volunteer student staff for their selfless dedication to the Centre. I hope you enjoy reading about it. If you are able, please donate what you can to keep the Centre thriving.
