The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) has been shortlisted for a prestigious higher education award in recognition of research that challenges what we understand about the Universe.
PhD student Alexia Lopez is up against five other universities in the Research Project of the Year: STEM category, for her exciting cosmological discoveries over the last few years.
Her discovery of an ultra-large-scale structure in the Universe, The Giant Arc, in 2021, followed by the Big Ring in the Sky in 2024, were so significant that they challenged fundamental assumptions in the field of cosmology.
Alexia presented the Giant Arc at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) in 2022 and presented the Big Ring at a further meeting of the AAS in 2024. In both cases, Alexia was invited by the AAS to present at press conferences and both discoveries were widely covered by the media.
"It is truly an honour to be shortlisted for this award and I am delighted that the Giant Arc and the Big Ring have drawn such an interest, both from the public and academic community."
— PhD student Alexia Lopez
“I am completely taken by surprise” Alexia said. “It is truly an honour to be shortlisted for this award and I am delighted that the Giant Arc and the Big Ring have drawn such an interest, both from the public and academic community.”
To date, the Big Ring in the Sky research has a reach of over one billion people around the world, with more than 1,000 different media outlets running the story.
Alexia was invited to speak at the prestigious Royal Society meeting: Challenging the Standard Cosmological Model. It is generally unheard of for a PhD student to present at an event like this; however, such was the impact of Alexia’s work, she joined world-leading cosmologists and a Nobel prize winner at the Royal Society to discuss the major challenges to the standard model of cosmology.
"Studying the Universe on the largest scales imaginable is exhilarating; finding the Giant Arc and Big Ring structures are reminders that we still do not have all the answers about our Universe, and that there is so much left to learn! "
— PhD student Alexia Lopez
Alexia added: “It is a privilege to work towards answering the questions: what does our Universe look like and how did our Universe form? Studying the Universe on the largest scales imaginable is exhilarating; finding the Giant Arc and Big Ring structures are reminders that we still do not have all the answers about our Universe, and that there is so much left to learn!
“To have this work recognised by the prestigious THE awards is an honour, and I am just so grateful to have even come this far in being shortlisted.”
Some 120 finalists from more than 70 institutions have been shortlisted for the 20th anniversary edition of the Times Higher Education Awards.
Dubbed “the Oscars of higher education”, the awards received a record-breaking number of entries in 2024, surpassing 700 and beating last year’s record by almost 100.
"... these awards are a constant reminder that we should never underestimate the dedication and drive of those who work in our universities to transform lives for the better."
— THE editor John Gill
THE editor John Gill said “This year’s THE Awards mark the 20th anniversary of the event, which over the last two decades has celebrated the wonderful achievements of a sector that has undergone extraordinary transformation without ever losing sight of the vital role it plays across the UK and Ireland.
“In 2024 it’s fair to say that higher education is going through a challenging period, but these awards are a constant reminder that we should never underestimate the dedication and drive of those who work in our universities to transform lives for the better.
“Enthusiasm for these awards as a way to celebrate those achievements remains undimmed, with more entries in our 20th year than ever before.
Our sincere congratulations to all those shortlisted in such a competitive year – it really is an achievement to have reached this stage, and we very much look forward to celebrating with you all at our 20th birthday party in Birmingham on 28 November.”