Professor Virginia Kilborn

Professor Virginia Kilborn

PhD (Astrophysics), University of Melbourne, Australia; BSc (Hons), University of Melbourne, Australia

• Chair, Department of Physics and Astronomy
• Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing
• Swinburne University of Technology

Biography

Professor Virginia Kilborn is a radio astronomer with the Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing at Swinburne University.  Her primary research interests include tracing galaxy evolution by studying the neutral hydrogen gas in galaxies, and she is now working towards preparations for surveys with the next generation radio telescopes, such as the Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP) and the SKA. Professor Kilborn is involved in the WALLABY ASKAP hydrogen survey, and is also chair of one of the survey’s scientific working groups.

Professor Kilborn undertook her PhD studies at the University of Melbourne, and following a post-doc at Jodrell Bank observatory in the UK, she returned to Melbourne to take up an ARC-CSIRO linkage fellowship at Swinburne in 2003 where she has remained since. Professor Kilborn was Deputy Director of the Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing (CAS) at Swinburne from 2011-2013, and Acting Director for CAS in 2013.

In 2015 Professor Kilborn took on the role as Chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Swinburne. Professor Kilborn is an enthusiastic educator and has taught into the Swinburne Astronomy online program since 2006, lectures in undergraduate Astronomy on campus, as well as undertaking numerous public outreach opportunities.  Professor Kilborn is active in the Australian Astronomical community and is immediate past President of the Astronomical Society of Australia, and a current member of the National Committee for Astronomy for the Australian Academy of Science. Professor Kilborn is a leader in gender equity initiatives, including chairing the CAS equity committee and co-leading a university-wide academic women’s promotion and careers program.

Research interests

Galaxy Formation and Evolution; Radio Astronomy esp. Square Kilometre Array and pathfinders

Teaching areas

Cosmology; Galaxy Formation; Physics; Astronomy

Awards

• 2015, Swinburne, Vice-Chancellors Award for Culture and Values, Swinburne
• 2012, Swinburne, Vice-Chancellors Teaching Award (team SAO), Swinburne
• 2012, National, OLT Citation for Outstanding contributions to student learning, SAO core team, Swinburne
• 2006, Swinburne, Vice-Chancellors Early Career Research Award, Swinburne