David Glass has successfully completed his part-time PhD within the JHI, having just taken his viva to become Dr. David Glass, on 19 September 2023. He is the first of our Astronomy Distance Learning (DL) graduates to complete both the BSc (Hons) Astronomy and his PhD with the JHI. The Astronomy Distance Learning Programme started in 1998 and enables students to work at their own speed through certificate courses, building up to a full BSc (Hons) Astronomy. David enrolled on his first course, the Certificate in Astronomy in September 2010, before transferring to the BSc and ultimately graduating in June 2017 with a first class degree.
David started his post-graduate studies, on gas and dust in early-type galaxies, in July 2017 and studied part time, with supervisor Dr. Anne Sansom. David analysed data from sources such as the ALMA submm/mm telescope, the Herschel Space Observatory and various ground-based optical telescopes. He also applied for and obtained his own observations with the IRAM-30m radio telescope, including observing remotely from his home during the pandemic. The photograph shows David at his post-viva celebration.
Other students from our Astronomy DL BSc have gone on to take MSc by Research postgraduate degrees at UCLan and elsewhere.
Photo: Post-viva celebrations at the JHI, for Dr. David Glass. From left to right are: Dr. Anne Sansom (David’s PhD supervisor); Dr. Marc Sarzi (external examiner and head of research at Armagh Observatory); Dr. David Glass (Astronomy DL BSc and new PhD graduate); Prof. Derek Ward-Thompson (internal examiner and Head of JHI) and Dr. Barbara Hassall (Astronomy DL course leader 1998-2006 and 2012-2022).