Amelia and William Wehlau Award in Astronomy
Awarded annually to a student in a Master's or Doctoral program in Astronomy, based on academic achievement and research merit. The recipient will be selected by a Graduate committee of the Department of Physics & Astronomy. At least one member of the Selection Committee must be a member of the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. This award was established in memory of Dr. Amelia Wehlau and Dr. William Wehlau through generous gifts from family and friends. Amelia Wehlau taught Astronomy at Western between 1965 and 1995. William Wehlau taught Astronomy between 1955 and 1991 and he served as the Head of the Department of Astronomy from 1966 to 1991.
The current value of this award is $2,300 (CDN).
Past winners
| 2022 | Kaylie Green |
| 2021 | Keegan Marr |
| 2020 | Ameek Sidhu |
| 2019 | Megan Tannock |
| 2018 | Robin Arnason |
| 2017 | Shannon Hicks |
| 2016 | Isabelle Cyr |
| 2014 | Neil Bhatt |
| 2013 | Tyler Desjardins |
| 2012 | Emily McCullough |
| 2011 | Nicole Bailey |
| 2010 | Robbie Halonen |
| 2009 | Meghan McGill |
| 2008 | Talayeh Hezareh |
| 2007 | Frances MacKay |
| 2006 | Wolfgang Dapp |
| 2005 | Michael Attard |
| 2004 | Kevin Brown |
| 2003 | Christopher Hunter |
| 2002 | no winner |
| 2001 | Simona Nikolova |
| 2000 | no winner |
| 1999 | Todd Fuller |
| 1998 | Carol Millar |
| 1997 | Eric Tittley |
| 1996 | Gregg Wade |
AMELIA F. WEHLAU (1930 - 2021)
Professor Emerita Amelia F. Wehlau (née White) was born on February 5, 1930 and died on March 21, 2021. She received her PhD from the University of California at Berkeley in 1953. With her husband, William Wehlau, she moved to London, Ontario in 1955 and began working as a research assistant to Helen Sawyer Hogg at the University of Toronto. She began lecturing in Western’s newly-formed Astronomy Department in 1965, was promoted to the rank of Associate Professor in 1978, and retired in 1995. Wehlau continued to be active in research long after her retirement, with the last of her 47 refereed papers published in 2008.
Wehlau’s scientific interests were in observations of variable stars, particularly in star clusters. While working with Hogg, she discovered one of the first novae known in a star cluster. Wehlau was an active member of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada and of the American Association of Variable Star Observers, and a charter member of the Canadian Astronomical Society.
WILLIAM H. WEHLAU (1926 - 1995)
Professor Emeritus William H. Wehlau was born on April 7, 1926 and died on February 24, 1995. Prof. Wehlau received his PhD from the University of California at Berkeley in 1953 and, with his wife Amelia Wehlau, came to Western as an NRC Postdoctoral Fellow in 1955. He became an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Astronomy in 1957 and was promoted to Professor in 1961. He founded Western's Department of Astronomy in 1966 and served as Department Head until his retirement in 1991. His accomplishments included obtaining the funding support for the Department’s Elginfield Observatory and its 1.2-m telescope.
Active in research both as an observer and as an organizer of collaborative projects, Wehlau was the author or co-author of more than 50 journal papers during his career. He was closely involved in developing the collaboration with France that eventually led to the building of the Canada-France-Hawaii telescope, was a regular visitor to the telescope, and was a member of both CFHT’s Scientific Advisory Council and its Board of Directors. Minor planet 204786 Wehlau is named in his honour.
Memorial Award Fund
The Department of Physics and Astronomy is presently accepting contributions to this fund.
Kindly send contributions to the following address:
The Department of Physics and Astronomy,
Western University,
London, Ontario, Canada
N6A 3K7
(519) 661-3183
