I recently returned from a wonderful half-week at the Winter Nuclear and Particle Physics Conference in Banff. It was an honor to be invited as a new member of the Canadian nuclear physics faculty to present my research on γ-rays from long-lived radionuclides and core-collapse supernovae. The scientific program was great, but the highlight was seeing the next generation of physicists in action. The student presentations and posters were truly fantastic and of very high quality. A special congratulations goes to Dhruval Shah (McMaster University). I have the pleasure of co-supervising his MSc thesis, and it was a proud moment to see him receive an honourable mention for his talk on the 18O(α,γ)22Ne reaction using the DRAGON facility.

Beyond the physics, it was also the first time I’ve celebrated my birthday in a conference setting! It was the perfect environment to reconnect with old friends and making new collaborations within the Canadian subatomic physics community.

Huge thanks to Heather Russell (UVic), Alain Bellerive (Carleton), and the entire organizing committee for putting together such an engaging and memorable meeting.

With Annika and Dhruval
Conference Group picture
Beautiful Lake Louise