Robert Daniel Ferdman---Curriculum Vitae   (download PDF)

Department of Physics & Astronomy 6224 Agricultural Road University of British Columbia Vancouver BC V6T-1Z1 Canada Phone: +1 604 822 2117 Fax: +1 604 822 5324 ferdman [at] phas [dot] ubc [dot] ca http://www.phas.ubc.ca/~ferdman

Personal

Born:   Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 4 December 1976 Citizenship:   Canadian

Education

Ph.D. Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, 2007 (Expected) Dissertation: Binary pulsar systems: environments and evolution Thesis supervisor: Dr. Ingrid H. Stairs M.Sc. Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, 2002 Dissertation: Searching for variability in the globular cluster Messier 4 Thesis Supervisor: Professor Harvey B. Richer B.Sc. Physics, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, 2000 Honours thesis: Simulations of a landmine detection device Thesis Supervisor: Professor James W. Jury

Teaching experience

Winter 2003-Winter 2006: Teaching Assistant, Astronomy 202: Galactic Astronomy Fall 2001-Fall 2006: Teaching Assistant, Astronomy 101: Introduction to the Solar System Summer 2004, Summer 2005: Lecturer, UBC Science 101 summer school, Distances in Astronomy Fall 2002-Fall 2005: Teaching Assistant, Astronomy 201: Stellar Astronomy Winter 2002-Winter 2005: Teaching Assistant, Astronomy 102: Introduction to Stars and Galaxies Fall 2001-Winter 2002: Teaching Assistant, Astronomy 310: Exploring the Universe I: The Solar System Winter 2000: Teaching Assistant, Physics 102: Electricity, Light and Radiation Fall 2000: Teaching Assistant, Physics 101: Energy and Waves

Awards

2006: University Graduate Fellowship (Doctoral), University of British Columbia 1995: Undergraduate Entrance Scholarship, York University

Academic activities

2006-present: Department student liaison and curriculum committee 2004-present: Department hiring committee 2000-2005: Co-organizer, public observing at the UBC observatory

Professional affiliations

Canadian Astronomical Society American Astronomical Society

Research interests

High-precision timing of binary and millisecond pulsars Formation and evolution of binary systems Binary pulsar environments and magnetospheres Tests of General Relativity using pulsar observations Galactic and extragalactic neutron star population studies Development of observational instruments and analysis software

Relevant skills and experience

Languages: Fluent English (spoken, reading, writing); Advanced French (spoken, reading, writing) Proficient in C, Fortran, IDL, and shell programming languages Participant in the Single Dish Radio Telescope Summer School at the Green Bank Telescope, Summer 2003 Principal investigator in successful observing proposals (including one for 121 hours of observing time at Green Bank telescope, and one for 24 hours at Arecibo), and co-investigator in many other proposals A great deal of observing experience, both on location at the Green Bank and Arecibo telescopes, as well as remotely Various data analysis skills, a great deal of which has involved developing my own software

Public outreach

Organizer and guide, UBC observatory public observing Telescope guide, Phenomenal Physics Summer Camps Lecturer, Science 101 summer school at the University of British Columbia Interviewed by The Ubyssey Newspaper (University of British Columbia student newspaper) Interviewed by The Peer Review, a Canada-wide graduate student research publication Honourable mention, 2006 NRAO/AUI Radio Astronomy Image Contest, "See extreme stars stretch the fabric of space-time"