ICRAR is pleased to announce local student Emma Van Dongen as the recipient of the 2025 Renu Sharma Scholarship in Astronomy and Astrophysics.
Perth student Emma Van Dongen will be starting a Masters research project with ICRAR in Semester 2 of 2025.
Emma is enrolled in UWA’s Frontier Physics Combined Bachelor and Master program. She will be completing the Master of Physics component of her degree with ICRAR, starting in Semester 2 of 2025.
Emma says her excitement about astrophysics built up slowly since hearing about the Frontier Physics program in high school.
“There wasn’t really an a-ha moment,” she says.
“The more I learned, the more I kind of just got hooked in. The number of questions that are still unanswered – it’s incredible.”
Her research project, supervised by Professor Chris Power, will look at simulations of galaxies to better understand the halo of dark matter around them.
In particular, Emma plans to use the streams of stars that surround interacting galaxies, called tidal streams, as a visible telltale to study invisible dark matter.
Colliding galaxies have particularly noticeable tidal streams. Credit: NASA, H. Ford (JHU), G. Illingworth (UCSC/LO), M.Clampin (STScI), G. Hartig (STScI), the ACS Science Team, and ESA
Emma says she’s looking forward to getting started.
“I really like the vibe at ICRAR so far. Everyone is so friendly and so lovely,” Emma says.
“It’s a really inclusive environment. And the minds of the people here are incredible. There’s just a lot to learn.”
The Renu Sharma Scholarship, named for Dr Renu Sharma, ICRAR’s founding Chief Operating Officer and Director of Translation and Impact, is funded by The University of Western Australia node of ICRAR to encourage and support participation of female and Indigenous students in astronomy and astrophysics.
Dr Sharma was inducted into the WA Women’s Hall of Fame shortly before retiring in March 2025, after 15 years with ICRAR.
