Our Team
Hilding Neilson
I am an interdisciplinary scientist, working on astrophysics and on the intersection of science, astronomy, and Indigenous knowledge. As a Mi’kmaw person, I strive to embrace and integrate Indigenous knowledges and methodologies to better understand the physics of stars and the Universe and our place in it. More specifically, I probe the physics of stars, from the nuclear-burning core out to the circumstellar medium where stellar winds interact with the interstellar medium to understand connections between stars and planets; stars and cosmology; and stars and us. I exploit theoretical and numerical tools to compare with observational data sets to reveal the hidden physics of stars. I enjoy teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels as well as participating in public outreach and science communication.
Julie Bolduc-Duval
Julie Bolduc-Duval is the director of the astronomy education program Discover the Universe Through her work, she tries to make astronomy accessible to all youths across Canada by creating educational resources and training teachers. Passionate about education, she truly believes that understanding our place in the Universe has the power to unite people and create a better world for everyone. She’s hoping to do her part towards reconciliation through this project and others she’s involved in. Julie is a settler with French-Canadian ancestry.
christina nitsis
Christina is a settler to so called Canada. She completed her Master's of Education at the University of Toronto, specializing in anti-racist and anti-colonial pedagogy. She is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in the department of Geography and Planning at the University of Toronto, where she is conducting research on strategies for the mitigation of plastic container waste. Her interest in geography and the physical world, and passion for anti-colonial pedagogies and planning, are what drew her to this work.
Heidi White
Under construction.
Alysa Obertas
Under construction.
Past Team members
Charlotte Clarke
Charlotte Clarke is a recent graduate of Cape Breton University, entering an MA in History at the University of Toronto this fall. While her recent research focuses on Early Modern history, she has a background in Indigenous outreach and cultural competency education. Charlotte is honoured to be a part of this project and hopes to bring Indigenous-centered education to all aspects of the classroom.
michael o'shea
Michael (he/his) is a fourth year PhD Candidate in Higher education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. A Settler of Irish ancestry raised in Chicago, Michael’s primary research explores Settler-Indigenous treaty relationships and higher education access across the U.S.-Canada border. He also moonlights as an amateur astronomer through #popscope, an urban astronomy movement he co-founded, and as an informal science educator.