Linda Strubbe, a former CITA Postdoctoral Fellow, AAS member and founder of Strubbe Educational Consulting was one of the two recipients of theInternational Astronomical Union Astronomy Education Prize. The award, which is given every three years, distinguishes “professional scientists, educators, science communicators or capacity-builders”, who “have made outstanding contributions to astronomy education, outreach or development”.
Dr. Strubbe completed her Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkeley, and a postdoctoral fellowship at the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics, where she researched the tidal disruption of stars by massive black holes in the centers of galaxies. In 2015, she transitioned her career to science education. Linda’s work focuses on the professional development of university instructors teaching in international contexts, especially North America and Africa. She also specialises in evaluating STEM educational programs and advancing equity and inclusion in STEM. Together with Bonaventure Okere, the other 2024 recipient of the IAU Astronomy Education Prize, she co-founded the Pan-African School for Emerging Astronomers (PASEA) in 2013. (PASEA’s other two Co-Directors are Jielai Zhang [U. of T. Ph.D. 2018] and James Chibueze.) Since then, Dr. Strubbe and her PASEA collaborators have held five summer school programs, in Nigeria, Ghana and Zambia. The sixth school is about to be held in Monastir, Tunisia, in September 2024.
Read more on the International Astronomical Union‘s website, UofT Celebrates, and A&S News.