Abigail Azari
Pronouns: she/her
Personal Website: https://abbyazari.github.io/
Contact
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Engineering - Electrical & Computer Engineering Dept
- aazari@ualberta.ca
Overview
Area of Study / Keywords
Machine Learning Bayesian Statistics Space Physics Planetary Science Planetary Magnetospheres Space Environments Space Plasmas Photonics and Plasmas
About
I am an Assistant Professor jointly appointed in the departments of Physics and Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Alberta, a Canada CIFAR AI Chair, and a research Fellow at the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute. My group aims to develop the use of machine intelligence for scientific discovery in space science and exploration, centering in planetary science and space physics. We focus on addressing outstanding challenges in uncertainty quantification and the inclusion of physical information.
If you wish to join my research group please review the information on my research website and Google Scholar before contacting me.
Education
PhD, University of Michigan, College of Engineering, Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Science, 2020
Funded through a NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, a NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship, and a Rackham Merit Fellowship.
MS, University of Michigan, College of Engineering, Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Science, 2017
BA, Smith College, Physics, 2013
Selected Professional Experience
Assistant Professor, University of Alberta, Dept. of Physics, Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Current
Canada CIFAR AI Chair & Research Fellow, Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute, Current
Post-Doctoral Researcher & Data Science Fellow, University of British Columbia, 2023 - 2025
Post-Doctoral Researcher, UC Berkeley's Space Sciences Lab, 2020 - 2023
Science Policy Fellow, IDA Science and Technology Policy Institute, 2013 - 2015
I also held various undergraduate research positions prior to 2013 at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory/DIII-D National Fusion Facility, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and Colorado School of Mines.
Courses
ASTRO 429 - Introduction to Space Physics
Fundamental concepts, observations, and methods of space physics: introduction to plasma physics including single particle motion, introduction to plasma kinetic theory, fluids, and magnetohydrodynamics; introduction to waves and discontinuities; the Sun, heliosphere, and solar wind; Earth's magnetosphere including space weather, structures and dynamics, the ionosphere, and the aurora; and planetary space environments. Corequisite: PHYS 381. Note: Credit may only be obtained for one of ASTRO 429 or ASTRO 529.
ASTRO 529 - Introduction to Space Physics
Fundamental concepts, observations, and methods of space physics: introduction to plasma physics including single particle motion, introduction to plasma kinetic theory, fluids, and magnetohydrodynamics; introduction to waves and discontinuities; the Sun, heliosphere, and solar wind; Earth's magnetosphere including space weather, structures and dynamics, the ionosphere, and the aurora; and planetary space environments. A knowledge of electromagnetism at the level of PHYS 481 is required. Note: credit may only be obtained for one of ASTRO 429 or ASTRO 529.