Tayyaba Zafar
{{short description|Astronomer and science communicator}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Infobox scientist
| name = Dr Tayyaba Zafar
| image = Dr_Tayyaba_Zafar.jpg
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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1983|5|29|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Lahore, Pakistan
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| citizenship = {{unbulleted list |Pakistani|Australian}}
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| field = Astronomy
| workplaces = {{unbulleted list|University of Copenhagen | European Southern Observatory|Australian Astronomical Observatory|Macquarie University}}
| alma_mater = {{unbulleted list|University of the Punjab (MSc 2005) | University of Copenhagen (PhD 2011)}}
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| known_for = First Pakistani woman in Antarctica.{{Cite web|date=2019-02-25|title=Dr Tayyaba, first Pakistani woman selected for Homeward Bound Program|url=https://www.globalvillagespace.com/dr-tayyaba-first-pakistani-woman-selected-for-homeward-bound-program/|access-date=2021-06-11|website=Global Village Space|language=en-GB}}{{Cite web|date=2019-02-24|title=The Lahori stargazer who lands up in Antarctica|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/1917522/1-lahori-stargazer-lands-antarctica|access-date=2021-06-11|website=The Express Tribune|language=en}}
| awards = 2020 NSW Tall Poppy{{Cite web|title=Dr Tayyaba Zafar|url=https://aips.net.au/tall-poppies/2020-new-south-wales-award-winner/dr-tayyaba-zafar/|access-date=2021-06-11|website=AIPS|date=9 November 2020 |language=en}}
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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.{{Cite web|date=2018-01-31|title=HB3 (2018-19) Participants - Homeward Bound|url=https://homewardboundprojects.com.au/hb1-participants/2019-participants/|access-date=2021-06-11|language=en-US}} 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.
Early life and education
Zafar was born and grew up in Lahore, Pakistan.{{Cite web|date=2019-02-24|title=The Lahori stargazer who lands up in Antarctica|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/1917522/lahori-stargazer-lands-antarctica|access-date=2021-10-20|website=The Express Tribune|language=en}} She completed her PhD in 2011,{{Cite web|last=Master|first=Web|date=2020-07-04|title=Congratulations to Tayyaba Zafar!|url=https://dark.nbi.ku.dk/news/2011/tayyaba_zafar/|access-date=2021-10-25|website=dark.nbi.ku.dk|language=en}} at the Dark Cosmology Center, University of Copenhagen with a thesis entitled Spectroscopy of high redshift sightlines.{{Cite web|last=Copenhagen University|first=Niels Bohr Institute|date=2021-07-20|title=PhD Thesis|url=https://nbi.ku.dk/english/theses/phd-theses/tayyaba-zafar/tayyaba_zafar.pdf|access-date=2011-02-15|website=University of Copenhagen}} 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).{{Cite journal|last1=Husemann|first1=B.|last2=Zafar|first2=T.|date=2015-03-01|title=Fellows at ESO|url=http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2015Msngr.159...58H|journal=The Messenger|volume=159|pages=58–60|bibcode=2015Msngr.159...58H|issn=0722-6691}} She later accepted a Research Astronomer role at the Australian Astronomical Observatory. She moved to Australia in November 2015,{{Cite journal|date=March 2016|title=Meet and Greet - Tayyaba Zafar|url=https://aat.anu.edu.au/files/201603---Issue-129---March-2016.pdf|journal=AAO Observer|volume=129|pages=26}} 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.{{Cite web|title=Tayyaba Zafar|url=https://researchers.mq.edu.au/en/persons/tayyaba-zafar|access-date=2021-10-25|website=Macquarie University|language=en}}
Her research focuses on the obscured universe and its connection with properties of galaxies.{{Cite web|title=Dr Tayyaba Zafar|url=https://aips.net.au/tall-poppies/2020-new-south-wales-award-winner/dr-tayyaba-zafar/|access-date=2021-10-25|website=AIPS|date=9 November 2020 |language=en}} 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,{{Cite web|title=Unlocking the Cosmos with Light|url=https://www.maas.museum/event/unlocking-the-cosmos-with-light/|access-date=2021-06-11|website=Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences|language=en-US}} talks to amateur astronomical societies,{{Cite web|title=Cold Dust Forming Assemblies of Hot Stars and Galaxies with Dr Tayyaba Zafar|url=https://www.asnsw.com/node/1229|access-date=2021-06-11|website=www.asnsw.com|language=en}} schools, and universities and written scientific online articles.{{Cite web|last=Administration|date=2019-12-03|title=Don't miss this heavenly performance of shooting stars|url=https://lighthouse.mq.edu.au/article/december-2019/dont-miss-this-heavenly-performance-of-shooting-stars|access-date=2021-07-20|website=The Lighthouse|language=en-au}} 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,{{Citation|title=Aaj Pakistan with Sidra Iqbal {{!}} 27 November 2019 {{!}} Aaj News|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXJf61Pg9X4|language=en|access-date=2021-06-11}} including a one-to-one interview for Such TV and breakfast show with Lahore News TV.{{Citation|title=Jaago Lahore - Part 03 - Meet the First Pakistani Woman to reach Antarctica|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjoRu3Qm9dE|language=en|access-date=2021-06-11}} She has radio and print interviews including interviews for BBC World,{{Cite news|title=Quem são as (poucas) mulheres que batizaram crateras da Lua|language=pt-BR|work=BBC News Brasil|url=https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/geral-56261163|access-date=2021-06-11}} ABC News,{{Cite web|date=2019-12-11|title=Geminid meteor shower will light up our skies this coming weekend|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2019-12-11/meteor-shower-geminids-2019/11783918|access-date=2021-06-11|website=www.abc.net.au|language=en-AU}} SBS,{{Cite web|title=Reaching for the stars|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/language/english/reaching-for-the-stars|access-date=2021-06-11|website=SBS Your Language|language=en}} and EFE Verde.{{Cite web|title=Drake Passage: turbulent test for 80 women scientists en route to Antarctica|url=https://www.efe.com/efe/english/technology/drake-passage-turbulent-test-for-80-women-scientists-en-route-to-antarctica/50000267-3858296|access-date=2021-06-11|website=www.efe.com|language=en}} She has online articles on astronomy,{{Cite web|title=بلیک ہول تصویر کی اہمیت کیا ہے؟|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/language/urdu/audio/what-is-the-importance-of-black-hole-image?language=ur|access-date=2021-06-11|website=SBS Your Language|language=ur}} instrumentation,{{Cite web|title=Looking to the Southern Skies together with Europe {{!}} Spaceaustralia|url=https://spaceaustralia.com/feature/looking-southern-skies-together-europe|access-date=2021-06-11|website=spaceaustralia.com}} and women in STEM issues.{{Cite web|title=Distinguished stargazer asks women to study science|url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/438977-distinguished-stargazer-asks-women-to-study-science|access-date=2021-06-11|website=www.thenews.com.pk|language=en}} She has been invited as a panelist for women in STEM discussion panels e.g., Sydney Science Trail in 2020.{{Cite web|title=Women in STEM - Panel Discussion {{!}} DART Connections|url=https://dartconnections.org.au/excursions/women-in-stem-live-panel-discussion|access-date=2021-06-11|website=dartconnections.org.au|language=en}}
Awards
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. [https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2011A&A...532A.143Z 2011A&A...532A.143Z]{{Cite journal|last1=Zafar|first1=T.|last2=Watson|first2=D.|last3=Fynbo|first3=J. P. U.|last4=Malesani|first4=D.|last5=Jakobsson|first5=P.|last6=de Ugarte Postigo|first6=A.|date=August 2011|title=The extinction curves of star-forming regions from z = 0.1 to 6.7 using GRB afterglow spectroscopy|url=https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2011A&A...532A.143Z/abstract|journal=Astronomy and Astrophysics|language=en|volume=532|pages=A143|doi=10.1051/0004-6361/201116663|arxiv=1102.1469|bibcode=2011A&A...532A.143Z|s2cid=53998644|issn=0004-6361}}
- 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. [https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2013A&A...556A.141Z 2013A&A...556A.141Z]{{Cite journal|last1=Zafar|first1=T.|last2=Péroux|first2=C.|last3=Popping|first3=A.|last4=Milliard|first4=B.|last5=Deharveng|first5=J.-M.|last6=Frank|first6=S.|date=August 2013|title=The ESO UVES advanced data products quasar sample. II. Cosmological evolution of the neutral gas mass density|url=https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2013A&A...556A.141Z/abstract|journal=Astronomy and Astrophysics|language=en|volume=556|pages=A141|doi=10.1051/0004-6361/201321154|arxiv=1307.0602|bibcode=2013A&A...556A.141Z|s2cid=53541710|issn=0004-6361}}
- 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. [https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2013A&A...560A..26Z 2013A&A...560A..26Z]{{Cite journal|last1=Zafar|first1=Tayyaba|last2=Watson|first2=Darach|date=December 2013|title=The metals-to-dust ratio to very low metallicities using GRB and QSO absorbers; extremely rapid dust formation|url=https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2013A&A...560A..26Z/abstract|journal=Astronomy and Astrophysics|language=en|volume=560|pages=A26|doi=10.1051/0004-6361/201321413|arxiv=1303.1141|bibcode=2013A&A...560A..26Z|s2cid=119259959|issn=0004-6361}}
References
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Category:Pakistani astronomers
Category:21st-century astronomers
Category:21st-century Pakistani scientists
Category:21st-century women scientists
Category:Science communicators
Category:Scientists from Lahore
Category:University of the Punjab alumni
Category:University of Copenhagen alumni