University of Exeter Astrophysics Group

Alumni & Staff Reunion

Celebrating 25 Years of the Astro Group

2001 – 2026

The Event

Join Us for a Day Together

December 2025 was the 25th anniversary of the creation of the Astrophysics Group at the University of Exeter. To celebrate the anniversary we would like to gather as many former PhD, postdoc, and staff members of the Astrophysics Group as possible for a Reunion — a chance to reconnect, share stories (both old and new), and raise a glass to 25 remarkable years.

Spouses/partners and children of past Group members are also very welcome to attend, either for the whole day, or just for the evening BBQ. Please note that we won't be able to provide child care.

During our day together, we plan to have a few talks by past Group members (both astronomy and non-astronomy), with plenty of time for interaction.

Date Saturday 1st August 2026
Time 09:30 – late
Venue University of Exeter
The Forum & Reed Hall
Dress code Smart casual

Programme

Day Programme

09:15RegistrationTea/coffee and cookies
10:00Matthew Bate & Tim NaylorWelcome
Session 1 — "My Life After Exeter"
10:20Howard CohlWhat Howie did after he left Exeter
10:30Andy BunkerJWST at the edge of the Universe — observing high redshift galaxies with NIRSpec
10:40Eric SaundersRobots, Blockchains and Rulebooks
10:50David HoggA tale of two hydrogens
11:00Rob KingLooking down instead of up
11:10Elaine WinstonFrom Astronomy to the Health Service
11:20Aude AlapiniWe are the instrument — Metagazing
11:30Ben AyliffeLet's talk about the weather
11:40Cátia CardosoTBC
11:50Mark McCaughreanSpace – The Final Frontier?
12:00Buffet LunchForum Street
Session 2 — "My Life After Exeter"
14:00David SingLife in Baltimore
14:10Tom HaworthA not so random walk in the south of Britain
14:20Alasdair AllanSoftware, Hardware, and Money
14:30Hannah WakefordAtmospheres, Aerosols, and Audiences
14:40Terry TriccoThere And Back Again
14:50Elisabeth MatthewsEXEoplanet imaging
15:00James WursterFrom fluid dynamics of star formation to explosions for protective design
15:10Dave AcremanWhat's the big computer doing?
15:20Devon Cream Tea
Session 3 — "My Life After Exeter"
16:20Anna LawsHealth data science
16:30Laura MoranGive me space!
16:40Dimitar VlaykovTurbulence and convection on the really small scales
16:50Daniel AhrerBringing the ELT to a lab in Heidelberg
17:00Clare AcremanMaking pipelines run more efficiently
17:10Ollie LewisA brief tour of all things weather
17:20Martha (Mei) MakFinding ways to diagnose the impact of photochemical hazes with JWST
17:30Move to Reed Hall
18:00BBQ DinnerReed Hall

Register

Register

Please register as soon as possible so that we are best able to plan the day. We have tried to keep the cost of the day as low as possible. When you register, along with a payment to cover the food for the day, you will have the option to book Bed and Breakfast University accommodation at Holland Hall, for the nights of Friday 31st July, Saturday 1st August and/or Sunday 2nd August. The default is for a single room, but a supplement for a shared double room is available if you are coming with a partner. You may of course choose to stay elsewhere.

Questions? Email astroenquiries@exeter.ac.uk