{{Short description|Astronomer}} {{EngvarB|date=March 2018}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}} {{Infobox academic | honorific_prefix = <!-- see MOS:HONORIFIC --> | name = | honorific_suffix = | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = | native_name = | native_name_lang = | birth_name = <!-- use only if different from full/othernames --> | birth_date = <!-- {{birth date and age|YYYY|MM|DD}} --> | birth_place = | death_date = <!-- {{death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (death date then birth date) --> | death_place = | death_cause = | region = | nationality = | citizenship = | residence = | other_names = | occupation = | period = | known_for = | home_town = | title =Professor | boards = <!--board or similar positions extraneous to main occupation--> | spouse = | children = | parents = | relatives = | awards = Annie Jump Cannon Award in Astronomy (2004), American Astronomical Society
Rutherford Memorial Medal (2014), Royal Society of Canada Member (2015), Royal Society of Canada's College for New Scholars | website =http://orca.phys.uvic.ca/~sara/ | education = University of Kent | alma_mater = University of Cambridge | thesis_title =The Chemical Evolution of QSO Absorbers | thesis_url = | thesis_year =2000 | school_tradition = | doctoral_advisor = | academic_advisors = | influences = <!--must be referenced from a third party source--> | era = | discipline = Astronomy | sub_discipline = Active galactic nucleus; Galaxy formation and evolution | workplaces = University of Victoria | doctoral_students = <!--only those with WP articles--> | notable_students = <!--only those with WP articles--> | main_interests = | notable_works =Galaxy Pairs in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey I-IV | notable_ideas = | influenced = <!--must be referenced from a third party source--> | signature = | signature_alt = | signature_size = | footnotes = }}
'''Sara Ellison''' is an Astronomy Professor at University of Victoria.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sara Ellison - University of Victoria|url=https://www.uvic.ca/research/centres/arc/people/faculty/ellison-sara.php|access-date=2021-02-11|website=www.uvic.ca}}</ref> Her work involves observational extragalactic astronomy, galaxy mergers and evolution, galactic chemistry and active galactic nuclei.<ref name="Astronomy Research">{{Cite web|url=http://www.astro.uvic.ca/~sara/astro.html|title=Astronomy Research|website=astro.uvic.ca|access-date=15 June 2016}}</ref>
== Background and education == Ellison was inspired to study astronomy by a teacher who was also an astronomer. The only student in a physics class in her small, all-girls school, Ellison finished the standard curriculum quickly and spent the remainder of class time discussing astronomy with her teacher.<ref name=":0" />
Ellison enrolled in physics and space science at the University of Kent in 1993 and received her MSc degree in physics at this university in 1997. She went on to earn her PhD degree in astronomy from University of Cambridge in 2000. After finishing her graduate studies, she worked as an ESO fellow in Chile for three years, and then joined the faculty of the University of Victoria as an assistant professor in 2003.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2001/nov/18/highereducation.research|title=Stars in their eyes|author=Guardian Staff|date=2001-11-18|work=The Observer|access-date=2019-10-29|language=en-GB|issn=0029-7712}}</ref> The same year, she was selected as Canada Research Chair (Tier II), a grant given to extraordinary emerging researchers by the Canadian government. In 2008, she became an associate professor and in 2014 a full professor at the University of Victoria.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.astro.uvic.ca/~sara/CV.html|title=A Brief CV|website=astro.uvic.ca|access-date=15 June 2016}}</ref>
== Research == The main themes of Ellison's research are studying absorption lines in quasar spectra and studying the effects of environment on galaxy evolution.<ref name="Astronomy Research"/> Her quasar work has focused on studying the chemistry of gas along the line-of-sight to quasars such as Damped Lyman-alpha systems<ref name="dla">{{cite journal |author1=Ellison, S. L. |author2=Yan, L. |author3=Hook, I. M. |author4=Pettini, M. |author5=Wall, J. V. |author6=Shaver, P. | date= 2001 | title = The CORALS survey I: New estimates of the number density and gas content of damped Lyman alpha systems free from dust bias | journal = Astronomy and Astrophysics | volume = 379 |issue=2 | pages = 393–406 | bibcode = 2001A&A...379..393E | doi = 10.1051/0004-6361:20011281 |arxiv = astro-ph/0109205 }}</ref> and the Lyman-alpha forest.<ref name="laf">{{cite journal |author1=Ellison, Sara L. |author2=Songaila, Antoinette |author3=Schaye, Joop |author4=Pettini, M. | date= 2000 | title = The Enrichment History of the Intergalactic Medium-Measuring the C IV/H I Ratio in the Lyα Forest | journal = The Astronomical Journal | volume = 120 |issue=3 | pages = 1175–1191 | bibcode = 2000AJ....120.1175E | doi = 10.1086/301511 |arxiv = astro-ph/0005448 }}</ref> Much of Ellison's most recent work has focused on using close pairs of galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey to investigate how galaxy interactions affect galaxy evolution.<ref name="pairs1">{{cite journal |author1=Ellison, Sara L. |author2=Patton, David R. |author3=Simard, Luc |author4=McConnachie, Alan W. | date= 2008 | title = Galaxy Pairs in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. I. Star Formation, Active Galactic Nucleus Fraction, and the Mass-Metallicity Relation | journal = The Astronomical Journal | volume = 135 |issue=5 | pages = 1877–1899 | bibcode = 2008AJ....135.1877E | doi = 10.1088/0004-6256/135/5/1877 |arxiv = 0803.0161 }}</ref><ref name="pairs4">{{cite journal |author1=Ellison, Sara L. |author2=Patton, David R. |author3=Mendel, J. Trevor |author4=Scudder, Jillian M. | date= 2008 | title = Galaxy pairs in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey – IV. Interactions trigger active galactic nuclei | journal = The Astronomical Journal | volume = 418 |issue=3 | pages = 2043–2053 | bibcode = 2011MNRAS.418.2043E | doi = 10.1088/0004-6256/135/5/1877 |arxiv = 1108.2711 }}</ref>
== Personal == In addition to her work in astronomy, Ellison has been involved in science outreach since 1992.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.astro.uvic.ca/~sara/outreach.html|title=Astronomy Outreach|website=astro.uvic.ca|access-date=15 June 2016}}</ref> She appeared on CBC Radio's ''Quirks & Quarks'' to answer questions about lunar landing sites.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/radio/quirks/quirks-quarks-for-jan-2-2016-1.3378142/quirks-question-period-lunar-landing-sites-1.3378212|title=Quirks Question Period – Lunar Landing Sites|publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|access-date=15 June 2016}}</ref> In a 2015 interview with the ''Vancouver Sun'', she spoke about how she got interested in astronomy.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/qa-gazing-into-space-to-see-the-future|title=Q&A: Gazing into space to see the future|last=Robinson|first=Matthew|date=|website=The Vancouver Sun|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=15 June 2016}}</ref> Her hobbies include painting on stretched canvas in acrylics.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.astro.uvic.ca/~sara/art.html|title=Sara's Art Page|website=astro.uvic.ca|access-date=15 June 2016}}</ref> An accomplished amateur athlete, Ellison has a Boston Qualifying marathon time and age group wins in both running and triathlon.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.astro.uvic.ca/~sara/races.html|title=Sara's Race Page|website=astro.uvic.ca|access-date=15 June 2016}}</ref>
==Honours and awards== * 2021: Canadian Astronomical Society Peter G. Martin Award for mid-career achievement<ref>{{Cite web |last=Administrator {{!}} |first=Office |date=2021-04-12 |title=Peter G. Martin Award for mid-career achievement: Dr. Sara Ellison – CASCA |url=https://casca.ca/?p=15871 |access-date=2025-06-11 |language=en-US}}</ref> * 2020-2022: President, Canadian Astronomical Society<ref name="casca_past">{{Cite web|title=Past Officers and Directors of the Society – CASCA|url=https://casca.ca/?page_id=681|access-date=2023-03-16|language=en-US}}</ref> *2018-2020: Vice President, Canadian Astronomical Society<ref name = casca_past></ref> *2015: Elected member of the Royal Society of Canada's College for New Scholars<ref name=":1" /> * 2014: Royal Society of Canada Rutherford Memorial medal in physics<ref>{{Cite web|title=Past Award Winners {{!}} The Royal Society of Canada|url=https://rsc-src.ca/en/awards-excellence/past-award-winners|access-date=2021-02-11|website=rsc-src.ca|date=21 October 2018 }}</ref> * 2009: Faculty of Science excellence in research award<ref>{{Cite web|title=Dr. Sarah Ellison awarded the 2008/09 Faculty of Science Award for Research Excellence - University of Victoria|url=https://www.uvic.ca/engineering/mechanical/home/news/archive/ellison-research-award.php|access-date=2021-02-11|website=www.uvic.ca}}</ref> * 2007: NSERC Discovery Accelerator grant * 2004: Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Ovenden lecturer * 2004: American Astronomical Society Annie Jump Cannon Award in Astronomy * 2001: Royal Astronomical Society PhD thesis prize (runner-up)
==References== {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ellison, Sara}} Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Alumni of the University of Kent Category:Alumni of the University of Cambridge Category:Academic staff of the University of Victoria Category:Recipients of the Annie J. Cannon Award in Astronomy Category:21st-century Canadian women scientists Category:21st-century Canadian astronomers Category:Women astronomers Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:Canada Research Chairs Category:Canadian women physicists