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Professor Jo Bovy, a galactic astrophysicist in the Faculty of Arts & Science’s David A. Dunlap department of astronomy and astrophysics, has been awarded the  for 2024 for his research into galactic dynamics, galaxy formation and evolution, dark matter and astrostatistics.

The Steacie Prize is Canada’s most prestigious early career research award. It is given annually in recognition of outstanding scientific work carried out in Canada in the natural sciences or engineering. The prize is named in memory of E.W.R. Steacie, a physical chemist and former president of the National Research Council of Canada.

“I am incredibly honoured to receive this prize as it is great recognition of my work,” says Bovy, who holds the Canada Research Chair in Galactic Astrophysics. “As someone working in a field with few immediate practical applications, I personally find it rewarding to see that pure, curiosity-driven research into our cosmic origins and the fundamental nature of matter is appreciated by the wider community.

“As well, at this point in my career, my own success is deeply intertwined with that of the amazing group of U of T undergraduate and graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows with whom I’ve had the pleasure of working. So, this is really honouring their fantastic work as well.” 

Bovy’s research is helping build our understanding of how galaxies like our own evolved over the 14-billion-year lifetime of the universe – from their birth as fluctuations in the density of matter only fractions of a second after the Big Bang to the building blocks of the cosmos we see today containing as many as hundreds of billions of stars.

“I am excited to begin a new year by congratulating Professor Bovy for receiving the distinguished Steacie Prize,” says Melanie Woodin, dean of the Faculty of Arts & Science. “His research is helping reveal our place in the Milky Way Galaxy and the cosmos. It is thrilling work, richly deserving of this recognition.”