On Sept. 9, it was announced that Carleton University would be one of seven universities involved in creating the Canadian Particle Astrophysics Research Centre. This is a huge step for Carleton’s physics department, and another accomplishment in a long list of scientific achievements for the Faculty of Science that students remain largely unaware of.
Carleton science has a lot to celebrate, however science is not a program that comes to mind when you think of Carleton.
In 2012, four Carleton graduate students were involved in the discovery of the Higgs boson particle at the world-renowned European Organization for Nuclear Research. Current faculty members hold Canada Research Chair positions and in 2016, Carleton scientists worked at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO), which earned a Breakthrough Prize in fundamental physics.
While the school publishes advancements made by those in the Faculty of Science on its website, too often they are buried at the bottom of the list. At the same time, press releases on new discoveries are often full of technical terms that only those with knowledge of that field can understand.
In order for Carleton’s science departments to get the recognition they deserve, the school must engage students in the work being done by their peers, faculty members, and alumni.
Whether it is by presenting their research in locations around campus or by translating these achievements into laymen’s terms, the university can build a reputation as a school with more than just a good journalism or architecture program, and continue to be involved in groundbreaking and influential research.
