University of Wisconsin–Madison

Colloquium

Speaker Schedule

Apr 23

Astronomy/WiCOR Joint Colloquium: Prof. Victoria Meadows
April 23, 2026 @ 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm

Speaker: Victoria Meadows Institution: Senior Research Scientist, SETI Institute Title: The Virtual Planetary Laboratory and the Search for Signs of Life on Exoplanets Abstract: The Virtual Planetary Laboratory is a massively interdisciplinary research group that has been working since 2001 to put a strong scientific foundation under the search for signs of life on exoplanets. …
Apr 30

Astronomy Colloquium: Whitford Lecturer Prof. Bruce Draine
April 30, 2026 @ 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm

Speaker: Prof. Bruce Draine Institution: Princeton University Title: Dust and Molecular Hydrogen in a galaxy with 3% Solar abundances Abstract: The first galaxies form stars out of initially pristine gas. After a few million years the gas is enriched with heavy elements formed by the first generation of stars. Dust starts to appear in small …