News & Events

March 31, 2021

Congratulations to Juna Kollmeier, new director of the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics (CITA)

The McDonald Institute would like to welcome Dr. Juna Kollmeier, as the new director of the University of Toronto’s Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics (CITA), a globally outstanding research centre focused on the origin and evolution of the universe and the many other phenomena discovered by modern astronomy. Dr. Kollmeier is the founding director of the Carnegie Theoretical Astrophysics Center, the director of the Sloan Digital Sky Surveys (SDSS-V) and is passionate about public outreach and the “inalienable right to physics” for everyone.

Kollmeier’s research looks at how structures grow and evolve in the universe, focusing on supermassive black holes, the Milky Way and the intergalactic medium.

“I am thrilled to welcome Juna Kollmeier to the University of Toronto to take on this important leadership role,” says Melanie Woodin, dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science, home of CITA. “This appointment is truly an outstanding ‘brain gain’ for Canada. An impressive scholar, passionate scientist and mentor, she is also brilliant at engaging the public in understanding our universe. She will undoubtedly advance CITA’s remarkable research and novel discoveries in astrophysics and cosmology to new frontiers.”

Dr. Kollmeier’s engaging TED Talk has attracted more than 2.6 million views. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88d-58tWhGs

Kollmeier’s appointment is the result of a comprehensive, global recruitment process and underscores the University’s commitment to diversifying leadership across disciplines. When she begins on July 1, 2021, Kollmeier will be the first woman to lead CITA.