Samar Safi-Harb

Samar Safi-Harb
TitleProfessor
Academic background
EducationUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison
Academic work
DisciplineAstrophysics
Sub-discipline
Supernova remnants
InstitutionsUniversity of Manitoba
Websitehttp://www2.physics.umanitoba.ca/u/samar/

Samar Safi-Harb is a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Manitoba and a Canada Research Chair in Supernova Remnant Astrophysics and Extreme Astrophysics. She was the Vice President of the Canadian Astronomical Society from 2020 to 2021.

Background and education

Samar Safi-Harb grew up in Lebanon during the Lebanese civil war. Despite loving physics in high school, Safi-Harb thought she would become a medical doctor and started a pre-medical physics undergraduate degree at the American University of Beirut. After her undergraduate degree, she chose to follow her passion in physics and pursued graduate studies in physics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, receiving her MSc in 1993 and her PhD in 1997.

Following her graduate studies, Safi-Harb completed a fellowship at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center where she worked in the high energy astrophysics lab. In 2000, she left NASA to start the University of Manitoba's graduate astrophysics program.

Research

Safi-Harb's research focuses on high energy studies of the remnants leftover by supernovae, including neutron stars and their nebulae. In 2021, Safi-Harb and her former graduate student Harsha Blumer published their results from their observations of the magnetar Swift J1818.0−1607, first detected by the NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory in 2020, using the Chandra X-Ray Observatory.

References

  1. 1 2 "Samar Safi-Harb Profile". Canada Research Chairs. November 29, 2012.
  2. ↑ Harris, Teresa (December 16, 2017). "Meet Dr. Samar Safi-Harb, Canada Research Chairholder in Astrophysics". Women of Influence.
  3. ↑ "Canadian Research Chairs Chairholders". Canadian Research Chairs. 2023-03-01. Archived from the original on Mar 21, 2023. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  4. ↑ "Past Officers and Directors of the Society". CASCA.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Abas, Malak (2016-03-02). "The University of Manitoba professor that helped launch a rocket". The Manitoban. Retrieved 2021-02-11.
  6. 1 2 Martin, Melissa (2018-04-14). "Apr 2018: Astrophysicist connects the dots from science 'up there' to a better life 'down here'". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved 2021-02-11.
  7. 1 2 Harris, Teresa. "Meet Dr. Samar Safi-Harb, Canada Research Chairholder in Astrophysics – Women of Influence". Retrieved 2021-02-11.
  8. ↑ "Brief CV". www2.physics.umanitoba.ca. Retrieved 2021-02-11.
  9. ↑ "Manitoba scientist over the moon after X-ray experiment blasts off into space". CBC News. 2016-02-17. Retrieved 2021-02-12.
  10. ↑ January 2021, Chelsea Gohd 12 (12 January 2021). "Astronomers spot the fastest spinning magnetar ever seen". Space.com. Retrieved 2021-02-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  11. ↑ Rutkowski, Chris (2020-11-23). "UM astronomer and former graduate student take close look at powerful new 'baby magnetar' in Sagittarius". University of Manitoba Today. Retrieved 2021-02-12.
  12. ↑ "Chandra studies extraordinary magnetar". EurekAlert!. Retrieved 2021-02-12.