Tayyaba Zafar

Tayyaba Zafar (born 29 May 1983) is a Pakistani-born astronomer and science communicator. She is widely known to the public as the first woman from Pakistan who visited Antarctica under the Homeward Bound Program.[4] She completed her PhD in astronomy from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark in 2011 and worked at the European Southern Observatory and Australian Astronomical Observatory. She researches how metals and dust form in distant galaxies and their effects are on star formation and other galaxy properties.

Dr Tayyaba Zafar
Born (1983-05-29) 29 May 1983
Lahore, Pakistan
Citizenship
Alma mater
Known forFirst Pakistani woman in Antarctica.[1][2]
Awards2020 NSW Tall Poppy[3]
Scientific career
FieldsAstronomy
Institutions

Early life and education

Zafar was born and grew up in Lahore, Pakistan.[5] She completed her PhD in 2011,[6] at the Dark Cosmology Center, University of Copenhagen with a thesis entitled Spectroscopy of high redshift sightlines.[7] This started her astrophysics career working on interstellar medium studies.

Research career

After completing her PhD, Zafar accepted a postdoctoral position at the Laboratorie d’Astrophysique de Marseille, France. In 2013, she moved to Germany to take up a fellowship at the European Southern Observatory (ESO).[8] She later accepted a Research Astronomer role at the Australian Astronomical Observatory. She moved to Australia in November 2015,[9] and supported the Anglo Australian Telescope at the Siding Spring Observatory. In mid-2018, she was hired by Macquarie University where she is currently serving as a Senior-Lecturer.[10]

Her research focuses on the obscured universe and its connection with properties of galaxies.[11] As of June 2021, SAO/NASA Astrophysics Data System lists her 59 refereed publications.

Science communication

Dr Zafar became recognised as a public figure when she visited Antarctica in 2018 under the Homeward Bound project, a personal and professional development program to empower STEMM women leaders. She has given public talks such as for Sydney Science Festival,[12] talks to amateur astronomical societies,[13] schools, and universities and written scientific online articles.[14] She is a member of the 2021 CSIRO STEM Professionals in Schools, Australia program to team up with teachers to educate and inspire students. She has given multi-lingual TV interviews,[15] including a one-to-one interview for Such TV and breakfast show with Lahore News TV.[16] She has radio and print interviews including interviews for BBC World,[17] ABC News,[18] SBS,[19] and EFE Verde.[20] She has online articles on astronomy,[21] instrumentation,[22] and women in STEM issues.[23] She has been invited as a panelist for women in STEM discussion panels e.g., Sydney Science Trail in 2020.[24]

Awards
  • 2020 NSW Young Tall Poppy Science Award for scientific contributions and communications in Australia.[3]

Selected publications
  • Zafar, T., D. Watson, J. P. U. Fynbo, D. Malesani, P. Jakobsson, and A. de Ugarte Postigo 2011. The extinction curves of star-forming regions from z = 0.1 to 6.7 using GRB afterglow spectroscopy. Astronomy and Astrophysics 532, A143. 2011A&A...532A.143Z[25]
  • Zafar, T., C. Péroux, A. Popping, B. Milliard, J.-M. Deharveng, and S. Frank 2013. The ESO UVES advanced data products quasar sample. II. Cosmological evolution of the neutral gas mass density. Astronomy and Astrophysics 556, A141. 2013A&A...556A.141Z[26]
  • Zafar, T. and D. Watson 2013. The metals-to-dust ratio to very low metallicities using GRB and QSO absorbers; extremely rapid dust formation. Astronomy and Astrophysics 560, A26. 2013A&A...560A..26Z[27]

References
  1. "Dr Tayyaba, first Pakistani woman selected for Homeward Bound Program". Global Village Space. 25 February 2019. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  2. "The Lahori stargazer who lands up in Antarctica". The Express Tribune. 24 February 2019. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  3. "Dr Tayyaba Zafar". AIPS. 9 November 2020. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  4. "HB3 (2018-19) Participants - Homeward Bound". 31 January 2018. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  5. "The Lahori stargazer who lands up in Antarctica". The Express Tribune. 24 February 2019. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  6. Master, Web (4 July 2020). "Congratulations to Tayyaba Zafar!". dark.nbi.ku.dk. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  7. Copenhagen University, Niels Bohr Institute (20 July 2021). "PhD Thesis" (PDF). University of Copenhagen. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
  8. Husemann, B.; Zafar, T. (1 March 2015). "Fellows at ESO". The Messenger. 159: 58–60. Bibcode:2015Msngr.159...58H. ISSN 0722-6691.
  9. "Meet and Greet - Tayyaba Zafar" (PDF). AAO Observer. 129: 26. March 2016.
  10. "Tayyaba Zafar". Macquarie University. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  11. "Dr Tayyaba Zafar". AIPS. 9 November 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  12. "Unlocking the Cosmos with Light". Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  13. "Cold Dust Forming Assemblies of Hot Stars and Galaxies with Dr Tayyaba Zafar". www.asnsw.com. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  14. Administration (3 December 2019). "Don't miss this heavenly performance of shooting stars". The Lighthouse. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
  15. Aaj Pakistan with Sidra Iqbal | 27 November 2019 | Aaj News, retrieved 11 June 2021
  16. Jaago Lahore - Part 03 - Meet the First Pakistani Woman to reach Antarctica, retrieved 11 June 2021
  17. "Quem são as (poucas) mulheres que batizaram crateras da Lua". BBC News Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  18. "Geminid meteor shower will light up our skies this coming weekend". www.abc.net.au. 11 December 2019. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  19. "Reaching for the stars". SBS Your Language. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  20. "Drake Passage: turbulent test for 80 women scientists en route to Antarctica". www.efe.com. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  21. "بلیک ہول تصویر کی اہمیت کیا ہے؟". SBS Your Language (in Urdu). Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  22. "Looking to the Southern Skies together with Europe | Spaceaustralia". spaceaustralia.com. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  23. "Distinguished stargazer asks women to study science". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  24. "Women in STEM - Panel Discussion | DART Connections". dartconnections.org.au. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  25. Zafar, T.; Watson, D.; Fynbo, J. P. U.; Malesani, D.; Jakobsson, P.; de Ugarte Postigo, A. (August 2011). "The extinction curves of star-forming regions from z = 0.1 to 6.7 using GRB afterglow spectroscopy". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 532: A143. arXiv:1102.1469. Bibcode:2011A&A...532A.143Z. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201116663. ISSN 0004-6361. S2CID 53998644.
  26. Zafar, T.; Péroux, C.; Popping, A.; Milliard, B.; Deharveng, J.-M.; Frank, S. (August 2013). "The ESO UVES advanced data products quasar sample. II. Cosmological evolution of the neutral gas mass density". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 556: A141. arXiv:1307.0602. Bibcode:2013A&A...556A.141Z. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201321154. ISSN 0004-6361. S2CID 53541710.
  27. Zafar, Tayyaba; Watson, Darach (December 2013). "The metals-to-dust ratio to very low metallicities using GRB and QSO absorbers; extremely rapid dust formation". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 560: A26. arXiv:1303.1141. Bibcode:2013A&A...560A..26Z. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201321413. ISSN 0004-6361. S2CID 119259959.
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