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WIU to Host Virtual Tribute to 2020 Nobel Prize Winners

November 25, 2020

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MACOMB, IL – The Western Illinois University Physics Department will host a virtual lecture series on Nobel Prizes at 4 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3.

The lecture series was started by the current WIU Physics Chair Kishor Kapale, in 2011. This year's lecture will be delivered by WIU Physics Professor Esteban Araya, and will pay tribute to 2020 Nobel Prize winners Roger Penrose, Reinhard Genzel and Andrea Ghez. This year's lecture is titled, "Understanding Black Hole Formation and the Discovery of a Supermassive Black Hole at the Center of the Milky Way" and is open to the public.

"In 2011, Dr. Araya gave the first lecture in the series on the expansion of the universe," said Kapale. "Ever since, we have had one of our faculty, based on their expertise and connection to the area, give a seminar on that year's Nobel Prize in Physics. On a couple of occasions, we even had a physics faculty give a seminar on that year's Chemistry Nobel Prize."

The 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics was divided, with one half awarded to Roger Penrose for the discovery that black hole formation is a robust prediction of the general theory of relativity. The second half was awarded to Reinhard Genzel and Andrea Ghez for the discovery of a supermassive compact object at the center of the galaxy.

To attend the Zoom session, visit wiu.zoom.us/j/98745433625.

Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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