Newsletter
Chiara Mingarelli
Chiara Mingarelli is an astrophysicist looking to understand how supermassive black holes in the centers of massive galaxies merge. Her exceptional professional journey earned her the MCAA Career Award at the Association’s Annual Conference in Milan.
The Award is aimed at rewarding a member with excellent career achievements, whether by having gained outstanding work or research experience or leaving an impact on society or the community. The 2023 edition of the Award was given to Chiara Mingarelli, Assistant Professor at Yale University, as a recognition of her contributions to the field of gravitational wave astronomy.
How does it feel to win the award?
“I am very grateful for this honour and recognition. The MSCA fellowship allowed me to launch my career and gain independence very early on in my career. This accolade is not just a recognition of my individual efforts but a testament to the collaborative spirit and international mobility that the MCAA embodies and encourages.”
What journey led you to this award?
“I started my journey in Ottawa, Canada, where I earned a BSc in mathematics and physics from Carleton University. Spurred on by my interest in astrophysics, and learning more about my Italian heritage, I moved to Bologna to pursue an MSc in Astrophysics and Cosmology. Under the supervision of Alberto Vecchio, I joined the Gravitational Waves group at the University of Birmingham, where I completed my PhD in 2014. This was focused on the astrophysics we can probe with pulsar timing array experiments. I won an MSCA International Outgoing Fellowship, which I held at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) for two years, with my return year in Bonn. It was a formative time, and set me up for many subsequent successes.”
How will this award propel you in your future endeavours?
“The Career Award is a significant recognition of my achievements and contributions to the field of gravitational wave astronomy. This accolade, awarded by a prestigious association, highlights my career trajectory and the impactful work I have conducted with my teams of students and collaborators, particularly during my International Outgoing Fellowship. It not only acknowledges my individual efforts but also my role within a collaborative and internationally mobile scientific community, ideals that are central to the MCAA. The award can potentially open more opportunities for grants and funding and enable me to attract bright students and postdoctoral researchers to my group.”
What are your future goals?
“My immediate goal is to advance cuttingedge research in the field of gravitational wave astronomy. This includes searching for individual supermassive black hole binary candidates and their anisotropy, which refers to the non-uniformity or inconsistency in different directions they induce in the gravitational wave background. I would love to do this internationally with my colleagues in the International Pulsar Timing Array, a multi-institutional consortium focusing on gravitational wave astronomy.”
What advice do you have for the MCAA?
“I would like to say a big thank you to the MCAA for making all this possible. Receiving the Career Award is a tremendous honour that will mark a milestone in my career.”
Kira Keini
MCAA Communication Officer
kira.keini@mariecuriealumni.eu
@kirakeini