Faculty of Science

Jacinta Delhaize - 2008 Science Student of the Year

Jacinta Delhaizey

I think most people are fascinated by astronomy at some point in their lives - whether they watch Star Wars as a child and wonder about aliens in galaxies far far away, or see the beautiful pictures taken by the Hubble Space Telescope and hear about black holes and supernovae on the news.

I have always been inspired by a curiosity of the unknown and awed by the great discoveries about our universe.

After studying high school maths and physics at Mandurah Catholic College, I enrolled in a Bachelor of Science degree at UWA. I chose specific units that enabled me to major in Physics. I received good grades during my first three years and so I was allowed to do an extra Honours year.

During Honours, I completed a research project in Astronomy and Astrophysics. I studied the Magellanic Stream, which is a massive trail of gas being pulled off two of the closest galaxies to the Milky Way. It was hard work but very interesting and I learned many new skills. I have just begun my PhD in Astronomy and Astrophysics at UWA. This means that I will spend a few years doing original research and finally write a thesis. I will be studying the gas in galaxies very far away, to see how it is different to near-by galaxies.

During my PhD, I will travel to telescopes all over the world and to international conferences to share my findings with other scientists. I will also spend some time doing research at Oxford University in England, which I am very excited about.”

The Western Australian Science Awards have been run since 2002 and cover all fields of science, including the natural, medical, applied and technological sciences, engineering and mathematical sciences. The winner in each category receives a commemorative plaque and a cash prize.