Letter from the Chair of CITA Council

Dear Visitor,

Welcome to the CITA /ICAT website. The Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics is our national centre for research in this exciting area. The centre promotes research in astrophysics, fosters work between members of our community throughout Canada, and provides a venue for interacting with international visitors.

Throughout its existence CITA has played an important role in fostering the careers of young astronomers from around the world, many of whom have gone on to illustrious careers in Canada and abroad. I myself came to Canada as a CITA postdoctoral fellow, and CITA has continued to be an important part of my work after I moved into a faculty position in Canada. I have benefited from my visits to CITA, by its support for conferences, by hosting CITA National Fellows at my institution, and by inviting CITA postdocs and faculty for visits to my institution.I have made important professional connections and learned about topics that would otherwise have passed me by. I am proud to have the chance to repay some small amount of my debt by serving as the Chair of the CITA Council.

None of CITA’s accomplishments would have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors. On behalf of our community, I am pleased to express my gratitude to the University of Toronto and the funding agencies of the federal government for their support and encouragement for the last 37 years. We look forward to serving our community for many years to come.

Shantanu Basu
Professor, Western University