In a vibrant celebration of collaboration and discovery, over 80 leading postdoctoral researchers from across the U.S. and Canada converged at Northwestern University for the Fellows@15 Conference, marking the 15th anniversary of the Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA). Held August 28–29, the event brought together
CIERA alumni, current postdoctoral fellows, and past conference participants for two days of cutting-edge research, spirited discussion, and renewed connections.
“I attended the last CIERA fellows conference, and it was terrific. I enjoyed meeting the fellows and other great young researchers who attended the conference — in fact, we hired one of the people I met there onto the Urbana faculty,” said Charles Gammie, the Ikenberry Chair in Astronomy and in Physics, University of Illinois.
Building on the momentum of CIERA’s previous “Fellows at the Frontiers” gatherings in 2011 and 2016, this long-awaited third installment (delayed from 2021 due to the pandemic) was a chance to reflect, reconnect, and reimagine the future of astrophysics.
“Another ‘Fellows’ style conference was long overdue,” said Fred Rasio, CIERA co-founder and Joseph Cummings Professor of Physics and Astronomy, who hosted the event. “And this time, we had the added joy of celebrating CIERA’s 15th anniversary!”
The conference spotlighted a dynamic range of voices, from early-career postdocs to seasoned alumni, highlighting
CIERA’s role in nurturing the next generation of astrophysicists. Presentations and posters spanned topics from the hunt for exoplanets to the behavior of black holes.
“One of the unique goals of these meetings is to bring together researchers from very different subfields — people who might never cross paths at traditional conferences,” Rasio noted. “That certainly happened again here, and it was fantastic to see those unexpected connections being made.”
The conference timing couldn’t have been better, according to Rasio. Just days before the event, the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Collaborations released their long-anticipated gravitational wave findings—the first major update in nearly four years. CIERA alum Ben Farr, Assistant Professor of Physics at the University of Oregon, and Maya Fishback, Assistant Professor at the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics (CITA), University of Toronto, presented the groundbreaking results for the first time during the conference.
“I was happy to see the CIERA fellows conference come around again. It was a great opportunity to talk to the current CIERA fellows – who are some of the best young people in astrophysics — and celebrate the 15th anniversary of CIERA with colleagues,” said Gammie. “It was also interesting to hear talks from former CIERA fellows. They’ve gone on to do important work in the field, and some are now my treasured colleagues and collaborators.”
Beyond science, the Fellows@15 program fostered informal exchange and community-building, with shared meals, breakout sessions, and a celebratory banquet that underscored the camaraderie and momentum driving the field forward.
“As a former CIERA fellow, this is a great opportunity to connect with both the mentors who influenced my career and with fellow former postdocs who shared an office and experiences with me,” said Smadar Naoz, the Howard and Astrid Preston Chair in Astrophysics and Professor of Physics & Astronomy at UCLA. “CIERA launched the careers of so many of us, so it was a pleasure to celebrate the progress and success of the institution and its descendants. Furthermore, it was wonderful to see the new generation of fellows and learn about the exciting research. I had a great time.”
As CIERA looks ahead to the next 15 years, the Fellows@15 Conference served as both a celebration of what’s been accomplished and a springboard for discoveries yet to come.