Coordinator: Dean's Office
Required Courses:
Instructor(s): Dr. K. K. Mashood, and Dr. Shweta Naik
Course Day and Time: Monday and Thursday (11 AM to 1 PM)
Starting from August 26, 2025
06Sat
Coordinator: Prof. Prithwijit De
08Mon
Coordinator: Centre Director's Office
As part of the faculty recruitment process, Dr. Moupiya Maji will be delivering two seminars, first on December 8, 2025 at 14:30 Hrs and second on December 10, 2025 at 14:30 Hrs both in NIUS G4, HBCSE. The details of which are as follows:
Dr. Moupiya Maji (Ph.D. 2018, Pennsylvania State University) is currently a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the IAU - Office of Astronomy for Education (OAE) Center India.
From Cosmos to Classrooms: A Journey Through Astrophysical and Educational Research
This talk presents an overview of my research spanning astrophysics and astronomy education. My astrophysical work investigates how structure forms and evolves across a range of cosmic environments. Using high-resolution simulations, I have examined the birth and survival of massive star clusters in interacting galaxies, revealing the physical conditions that shape their mass distributions. I have also studied the spatial distribution of the Milky Way's satellite galaxies, evaluating the evidence for a coherent "disk of satellites'' and how baryons influence satellite anisotropy. In the context of early-universe galaxy evolution, my research connects the observable properties of Lyman-alpha emitters with their ionizing output, providing insights into how galaxies contribute to cosmic reionization.
In recent years, I have been increasingly interested in astronomy education. As part of my astronomy education research work, I have led a nationwide baseline survey on astronomy education in India, documenting students' conceptual understanding, prevalent misconceptions, attitudes, and access to learning resources. This project generated one of the first large-scale datasets of its kind in the country, revealing substantial variation across gender, socioeconomic background, and regional context. The findings highlight that despite high interest in the subject, the majority of students lack basic astronomy knowledge. Overall, the results point to the critical need for targeted curriculum support, effective assessment tools, and comprehensive teacher training. Together, this work connects the evolution of cosmic structures with the development of scientific understanding in classrooms.