Rosalie Williams Receives the Chambliss Astronomy Achievement Student Award

Rosalie Williams, a senior in the physics program, was awarded the Chambliss award at the January 2025 American Astronomical Society (AAS) Meeting at National Harbor, Maryland.

When asked how it felt to win the award Williams said, “I think it’s crazy. I felt light-headed. It means a lot to me because I really like working in astronomy and physics. The award is very motivating. It says, I can do it and should keep going.”

*The Astronomy Achievement Student Awards are given to recognize exemplary research by undergraduate and graduate students who present at one of the poster sessions at the meetings of the AAS. Awardees are honored with a Chambliss medal.

Williams won the award for her research presentation titled, “Locating a Type II Radio Burst in a Behind-the-limb Coronal Shock via Occultation.” The research was conducted at a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) she had at the Center for Astrophysics, Harvard & Smithsonian under the guidance of Harvard Professor Emeritus John Raymond and postdoc Nicholas Trueba.

By analyzing a coronal mass ejection that emanates from the back of a star, the team was able to determine where the radio burst originated. “So we verified that the sides, not the tip of the shock produces it,” Williams said. “It allows us to understand more about the solar environment.” 

“When I came here to Cal Poly Pomona, I didn’t know I’d be able to do research and what a big impact it would have on my career.” Cal Poly Pomona provided several opportunities to present her research at conferences. Those experiences helped prepare her to present at the AAS Meeting in January.

At CPP, Williams is conducting research on x-ray binary stars under the mentorship of Breanna Binder. “She’s great, reliable, and gives constructive criticism. I always recommend her to others for research. She is helping me in the grad school application process, developed a timeline and gave me good and timely feedback,” Williams said.

Williams has found financial support from the Mary Mogge Scholarship and Team-up Together and peer support through participation in campus clubs. She is on the executive board of oSTEM and the new club, Women and Gender Minorities in Physics (WaGMiP). “I think CPP has a reputation as a commuter school but you can find a sense of community here, and it’s a place with opportunities.”

*From the AAS website.

Rosalie Williams was featured in the October 2023 Discovery Newsletter.