Education

• Diploma in Higher Education Teaching Practice, 2011, University of Copenhagen
• Ph. D. in Astrophysics, University of Copenhagen, 1999
• Cand. Scient (M. Sc. Equivalent) in Astrophysics, University of Copenhagen, 1992

The university degrees in Astronomy are all from the Copenhagen University Observatory (CUObs), Denmark. CUObs was the astronomy department at the Niels Bohr Institute, NBI. NBI is the Physics Department at the Faculty of Natural Sciences at University of Copenhagen. The Bachelor of Physics was obtained from the H. C. Ørsted Institute (now a subset of the NBI) at University of Copenhagen.

Research Experience

• Professor of Astrophysics, Niels Bohr Institute, Copenhagen University, since January 2021
• Associate Professor (with tenure; `Lektor'), Niels Bohr Institute, Copenhagen University (Sept 2011 - 2020)
• Marie Curie Fellow, Niels Bohr Institute, Copenhagen University (2010 - 2012)
• Freja Fellow, Niels Bohr Institute, Copenhagen University (2009 - 2011)
• Adjunct Associate Professor at Department of Astronomy and Steward Observatory, University of Arizona (2009 - present)
• Assistant Professor, Tufts University (2007 - 2009)
• Post doctoral Research Associate, Steward Observatory, University of Arizona (2003 - 2007)
• Post doctoral Research Associate, Ohio State University (2002 - 2003)
• Post doctoral Fellow (Columbus Prize Fellow), Ohio State University (1999 - 2002)
• Dissertation, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (1994 - 1998)
• Master's Thesis, Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, The Netherlands, and Copenhagen University (1991 - 1992)

Fellowships, Awards, and Honors

• Women in Physics 2024 Honourary Prize as a role model for students and early career scientists -- KIF 2024 Prize and KIF 2024 Prize Event
• The University of Copenhagen Teaching Award, 2016 -- the Annual Harald ---- NBI News in English and in Danish
• The Jens Martin Prize, The NBI Teaching Award, 2015 ---- NBI News in English and in Danish
• Invited member of AcademiaNet
• Quasar Distance Indicator Method (Watson, Denney, Vestergaard, and Davis 2011, ApJ, 740. L49) is honored as the 4th of 10 top breakthroughs for 2011 by 'Physics World'.
• Marie Curie International Incoming Fellowship (EU) at the Niels Bohr Institute (2010 - 2012)
• The Freja Fellowship, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Copenhagen University (2009 - 2011)
• Institute of Astronomy Fellowship, Cambridge, UK (2003; declined)
• Yale Prize Fellowship (2003; declined)
• Princeton-Catolica Prize Fellowship (2003; declined)
• The Columbus Prize Fellowship, Dept. of Astronomy, The Ohio State University (1999 - 2002)
• The Danish Natural Science Foundation Fellowship (1993 - 1996)
• Fullbright Fellowship (1993; declined)
• The European Community Science Research Grant (13 months; 1991-1992; PI: P.B. Barthel)

Awarded Grants

• 2024 HST Cycle 32 (5 Orbits), ToO program, ``A new laboratory for fundamental AGN physics', (2024-2026; Science PI).
• 2021 HST Cycle 29 (4 Orbits), ToO program, ``Constraining the emergent EUV ionizing emission in the reawakening monster in Mrk 590.'' (2021-2023; Science-PI)
• 2020 NuSTAR Cycle 6. Joint program with NuSTAR, Swift and XMM-Newton X-ray satellites (30ks Swift; 120 ks NuSTAR, 75 ks XMM) "ToO observations of a re-awakening AGN: Exploring the physics of changing-look AGN" (2020-2022; science-PI)
• 2020 Swift Cycle 16. Joint program with VLBA (48ks Swift; 29.4 hrs VLBA) "Monitoring the sleeping monster in AGN Mrk 590 and clues to the nature of its radio emission" (2020-2021; science-PI)
• 2019 NuSTAR Cycle 5. Joint program with Swift (150 ksec NuSTAR; 70 ksec Swift) "Monitoring and ToO of a reawakening AGN: Catching the Monster in the act!" (2019-2021; science-PI)
• 2018 De Frie Forskningsråd for Natur og Univers, Project 2, ``Closing the Gap with a novel angle on black hole mass and fueling with the Atacama Large Millimeter Array and James Webb Space Telescope'' (2019-2025).
• 2017 HST Cycle 25 (2 orbits), ``Constraining the emergent EUV ionizing emission in the reawakening monster in Mrk 590'', GO/DD 15448 (Director's discretionary time)
• 2017 HST Cycle 25 (3 orbits), ``Catching the onset of black hole activity in nearby galaxy Mrk 590'', GO/DD 15404 (Director's discretionary time)
• 2014 De Frie Forskningsråd for Natur og Univers, Project 2, ``Improving Supermassive Black Holes as Cosmic Probes'' (2014-2019).
• 2013 Instrument Centre for Danish Astronomy, 4 months salary for a research assistant (June-Sept 2013).
• 2012 Villum-Kahn Rasmussen Block-grant; funding for postdoc 2013-2015,
• 2010 Marie Curie International Incoming Fellowship Grant (European Union REA FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IIF; Proposal No 255190; Acronym: 'BHmass') (2010 - 2012)
• 2009 The Freja Fellowship, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Copenhagen University; PI salary, 1 PhD student, 1 year postdoc and research expenses (2009 - 2011)
• 2005 HST Cycle 14 (AR-10691), ``Accuracy of Quasar Black Hole Mass Estimates'',
• 2002 HST Cycle 11 (AR-09549), ``Iron Emission: A Powerful Probe of the Quasar Central Engine'',
• 1993 The Danish Natural Science Foundation Grant (36 months)
• 1993 The Danish Research Academy Grant (12 months)
• 1993 Christian og Ottillia Brorsons Travelgrant for young researchers ("Christian og Ottillia Brorsons rejselegat for unge forskere")

• 2023 Swift Cycle 19, (ID: 1922187; 72 ksec), ``Sizing up the accretion disk in a flaring changing-look AGN'', P.I.: Daniel P. Lawther
• 2022 NuSTAR Cycle 8 (ID: 08233; 150 ksec) multi-cycle program joint with XMM-Newton (75 ksec) and NICER (16 ksec), ``ToO observations of a re-awakening AGN: Exploring the physics of a changing-look AGN '', P.I.: Daniel P. Lawther
• 2022 JWST Cycle 1 (GO-01764), ``A Comprehensive JWST View of the Most Distant Quasars Deep Into the Epoch of Reionization'', P.I. Dr. X. Fan (65.5hr, 8.6hr parallel obs)
• 2022 JWST Cycle 1 (GO-01967), ``A Complete Census of Supermassive Black Holes and Host Galaxies at z=6'', P.I. Dr. M. Onuoe (49.5hr)
• 2022 JWST Cycle 1 (GO-02078), ``A SPectroscopic survey of biased halos In the Reionization Era (ASPIRE): A JWST Quasar Legacy Survey'', P.I.: Dr. F. Wang (61.5hr, 29.6hr parallel obs)
• 2022 HST Cycle 30 (GO-17165; 63 orbits), ``Accurate Distances to Canonical Seyferts'', P.I. M.C. Bentz
• 2019 HST Cycle 27 (GO-15970), ``Recalibrating SMBH Scaling Relations with Ultraviolet SEDs of Reverberation-Mapped AGN'', P.I. Dr. K. Grier
• 2017 HST Cycle 25 (GO-15124), ``Measuring the Accretion Disk Size in Mrk 509 using Continuum Reverberation Mapping'', P.I. Prof. A. Barth
• 2017 HST Cycle 25 (GO-15281), ``Characterizing Mass Outflows in Palomar Green Quasars: evidence for AGN feedback?'', P.I. Dr. Steven Kraemer
• 2016 HST Cycle 24 (GO-14697), ``A Cepheid Distance to NGC 4051'', P.I. Prof. B.M. Peterson,
• 2014 HST Cycle 22 (GO-13816), ``High-Resolution Imaging of Active Galaxies with Direct Black Hole Mass Measurements'', P. I.: Prof. M. Bentz,
• 2014 HST Cycle 22 (GO-13765), ``A Cepheid-based Distance to the Benchmark AGN NGC 4151'', P. I.: Prof. B.M. Peterson,
• 2014 HST Cycle 22 (GO-13728), ``Do QSO2s have Narrow Line Region Outflows? Implications for Quasar-mode feedback.'', P. I.: Prof. S. Kraemer,
• 2013 HST Cycle 21 (GO-13330), ``Mapping the AGN Broad Line Region by Reverberation'', P. I.: Prof. B.M. Peterson,
• 2010 HST Cycle 18 (AR-12149), ``Does the CIV Emission Line in AGN Spectra Yield Accurate Black Hole Mass Estimates?'', P. I.: Prof. B.M. Peterson,
• 2006 HST Cycle 15 (GO-10833), ``Host Galaxies of Reverberation-Mapped AGNs'', P. I.: Prof. B. M. Peterson
• 2005 HST Cycle 14 (GO-10516), ``Host Galaxies of Reverberation-Mapped AGNs'', P. I.: Prof. B. M. Peterson
• 2004 HST Cycle 13 (GO-10237), ``Low-Ionization BALs: Evolution or Orientation?'', P. I.: Dr. X. Fan
• 2004 HST Cycle 13 (GO-10417), ``Host Galaxies and Environments of the Most Massive Black Holes in the Early Universe'', P. I.: Dr. X. Fan
• 2003 HST Cycle 12 (GO-09851), ``Host Galaxies of Reverberation-Mapped AGNs'', P. I.: Prof. B. M. Peterson
• 2002 HST Cycle 11 (GO-09507), ``STIS/UV Snapshot Survey of Bright AGN'', P. I.: Dr. N. Arav

• 2020 Scientist in Charge for Marie Curie International Global Fellowship Grant (EU REA H2020-MSCA-IF-2019; Proposal No. 891744; Acronym: CR-GAS); Researcher Dr. Sandra I. J. Raimundo (2020 - 2023)
• 2011 Scientist in Charge for Marie Curie International Incoming Fellowship Grant (EU REA FP7-PEOPLE-2011-IIF; Proposal No. 300553; Acronym: REVERB_MASS); Researcher Dr. Kelly D. Denney (2012 - 2013)
• 2013-2014 Funding for Ph.D. course 'Introduction to sub-mm interferometry and science with ALMA', NBI; Co-PI with Lise B. Christensen

Services:

Community Services

• Hubble Space Telescope Allocation Peer Review Panel Chair and Large Panel Member (Cycle 25, 2017)
• Hubble Space Telescope Allocation Peer review panelist (Cycle 18, 2010)
• Chandra X-ray Telescope Allocation Peer review panelist (Cycle 7)
• Reviewer for
  • l'Agence Nationale de la Recherche, ANR - (The French National Science Foundation)
  • The Optical Infrared Co-ordination Network for astronomy (OPTICON) Telescope Allocation Committee
  • The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO)
  • The French National Research Agency
  • The U.S.-Israel Binational Science Foundation
  • The National Science Center, Poland
  • The German National Science Foundation (Die Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft)
  • The Telescope Access Program for China
  • Distributed Peer Reviewer for ESO's VLT telescopes, ALMA observatory
• Referee for
  • Astrophysical Journal (main journal, Supplements, and Letters),
  • Astronomical Journal,
  • Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (main journal and Letters),
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
• Promotional reviewer/referee for
  • Space Telescope Science Institute
  • Lancaster University

Scientific Committees

• Member, European Southern Observatory Scientific Technical Committee (STC), Jan 2020-2025
• Member, Scientific Organizing Committee, "Galaxy Evolution and Star Formation versus Cosmic time", International Workshop in Lund Sweden, April 2017, in connection with the Plenary Session: ``Big Questions in Astrophysics -- the next decades''
• Member, Scientific Organizing Committee, "Deciphering the surroundings of supermassive black holes", Workshop, Lorentz Center, The Netherlands, December 2014 (rescheduled)
• Management Committee, COST Action MP1104: "Polarization as a tool to study the Solar System and beyond" (2013 - 2015)
• Chair, Scientific Organizing Committee, "Improving Black Hole Mass Estimates", Workshop, NBI, 1 - 13 July, 2012
• Member, Scientific Organizing Committee, COSPAR session "Seyfert Galaxies: Known and the Unknown", 39th Assembly, Mysore, India, 14-22 July 2012
• Management Committee, COST Action MP0905: "Black Holes in a Violent Universe" (2010 - 2014)
• Science Advisory Board, Finish Center for Research at ESO (2010 - 2012)
• Member of the Hubble Space Telescope Users Committee (2005 - 2009)

Assessment Committees

• Chair, Faculty Selection Committee, Serra Hunter Programme/University of Barcelona, January - June 2021
• Chair, PhD Assessment Committee: Andreas Skielboe, December 2015 - January 2017, NBI
• Chair, PhD Assessment Committee: Søren Frimann, January - March 2016, NBI
• Chair, PhD Evaluation and Defense Committee: Desiree Della Monica Ferreira, December 2010 - March 2011, NBI
• Chair, PhD Evaluation and Defense Committee: Peter Laursen, June - August 2010, NBI

Ph.D. Committees and Services

• Thesis Committee: Andreas Skielboe 2013 - 2015, NBI
• Chair, PhD Defense: Teddy Frederiksen, February 28, 2014, NBI
• Chair, PhD Defense: Martina Falco, January 10, 2014, NBI
• Thesis Committee: Johannes Zabl 2011 - 2014, NBI
• Thesis Committee: Martin Sparre 2011 - 2014 , NBI
• Thesis Committee: Tayyaba Zafar 2010-2011, NBI

Memberships

Professional Organizations

• American Astronomical Society
• International Astronomical Union
• Marie Curie Fellowship Association
• European Astronomical Society

Other

• AcademiaNet: AcademiaNet Website
• Member, 4th working group, COST Action MP0905 ("Black Holes in a Violent Universe") (2010-2014)

Selected Invited Talks and Colloquia (since 2005)

• 2005 "AGN Winds in the Caribbean", St. John, Nov/Dec 2005
• 2006 Drexel University, Philadephia, February 2006
• 2006 "Physics and Astrophysics of Supermassive Black-Holes", Santa Fe, July 2006
• 2006 University of California, Riverside, October 2006
• 2006 University of Bristol, England, November 2006
• 2006 Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, November 2006
• 2007 Tufts University, Boston, February 2007
• 2007 Yale University, New Haven, March 2007
• 2007 STScI Symposium on Black Holes, Baltimore, April 2007
• 2007 MPIA meeting on "Impact of AGN Feedback on Galaxy Formation", Ringberg Castle, Munich, May 2007
• 2008 MIT, Boston, April 2008
• 2009 Center for Astrophysics, Boston, March 2009: "Accreting Black Holes Across Cosmic Times"
  
• 2009 IAU Symposium 267, Rio de Janeiro, August 2009: "Quasar Mass Functions Across Cosmic Times"
  
• 2009 Dark Cosmology Centre, Copenhagen, November 2009: "Accreting Black Holes Across Cosmic Times"
  
• 2010 Danish Research School, Ebeltoft, Denmark, January 2010: "Accreting Black Holes Across Cosmic Times"
  
• 2010 University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway, March 2010: "Accreting Black Holes Across Cosmic Times"
  
• 2010 Nordic Astrophysics 2010, Visby at Gotland, Sweden, May 2010: "Supermassive Black Holes: Where and what is the fuzz?"
  
• 2010 "Key Issues in High-redshift Galaxy/Black Hole Evolution in the ALMA/JWST Era", Hangzhou, China, May-June, 2010: "Thoughts on Black Hole Mass Estimates and the Future Missions"
  
• 2010 "The First Galaxies, Quasars & Gamma-Ray Bursts", Penn State Univ., June 2010: "Determining Black Hole Masses in Distant Quasars"
  
• 2010 "What drives the growth of black holes?", Durham, England, July 2010: "Black Hole Masses and Eddington Ratios of Quasars Across Cosmic Times"
  
• 2010 Second Working Group Meeting, COST Action MP0905 on "Black Holes in a Violent Universe", Valencia, Spain, November 2010 "Mass Estimates and Demographics of Black holes in Distant Quasars"
  
• 2010 Lund University, Lund, Sweden, December 2010: "Accreting Black Holes Across Cosmic Time"
  
• 2011 Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, October 2011: "Accreting Black Holes Across Cosmic History"
  
• 2011 University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA, October 2011: "Accreting Black Holes Across Cosmic History and a New Distance Indicator"
  
• 2011 Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, The Netherlands, December 2011, "On Measuring Cosmic Black Hole Growth and Cosmic Distances with Quasars"
  
• 2013 Nordic Physics Days, Lund, June 2013: "Quasars as Cosmological Probes"
  
• 2014 "Inner Regions of Quasars", University of Texas at Austin, September 2014: "Do CIV 1549A narrow associated absorption lines take origin in disk winds?"
  
• 2015 "GAGNES (Gaia for AGN and Extragalactic Science) GREAT-esf meeting", Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris, Paris, July 2015, invited review "Quasar Black Hole Masses with GAIA"
  
• 2015 "XXIX IAU General Assembly", Division for High Energy Phenomena and Fundamental Physics, Honolulu, August 2015, invited review, "Black Hole Masses and Accretion in Quasars and Active Galactic Nuclei"
  
  
• 2016 Finish Astronomy Days, Tampere, Finland, May 2016 "Supermassive Black Holes"
  
• 2017 University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway, April 2017 "Attempts to shed light on the dark lives of supermassive black holes "
  
• 2017 University of Copenhagen, May 2017, "Ind til Kernen", Festsymposium in honor of Inge Lehmann, "Sorte huller i kernen af galakser?"
  
• 2017 Chalmers Technical University, Gothemburg, September 2017, Lise Meitner Symposium in honor of Francoise Combes, "Can we learn about AGN feeding from a sleeping monster?"
  
• 2018 Conference "Breaking the limits: Super-Eddington accretion onto compact objects", October 2018, Sardinia, Italy. Invited review talk: Black hole growth and galaxy evolution in 'light' of Super-Eddington accretion".
  
• 2019 Niels Bohr International Academy, September 2019, Invited talk: "Supermassive black holes and their galaxies - Or why astrophysicists are excited about the new EHT results and capabilities"
  
• 2019 Conference "Mapping the central regions of Active Galactic Nuclei", September 2019, Guilin, China, Invited review talk: Black hole masses across cosmic time".
  
• 2019 Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA, October 17, 2019: "Black Hole Mass Determinations across Cosmic Time"
  
• 2019 Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA, October 18, 2019: "Black Hole Mass Determinations across Cosmic Time"
  
• 2019 Niels Bohr Institute Science Day, Copenhagen, October 25, 2019: "Living with Supermassive Black Holes".
  
• 2021 Gravity+ Community Workshop, Max Planck Institute for Extraterristial Physics, Link Invited review talk: "Entering a new era in AGN research with GRAVITY+"
  

Selected Invited Public Talks and Presentations

• 2007: Kaikohe Rotary Club, Kaikohe, New Zealand, March 2007
• 2007: Northcross Intermediate School (Independent Learning Classes), Auckland, New Zealand, April 2007
• 2010: Sydvestjysk Folkeuniversitetet, Myrthuegård, Marbæk by Esbjerg, Jutland, November 2010: "Supertunge sorte huller i fjerne galakser og kvasarer"
  
• 2011: Nova's Astrocenter, Hornbæk, Nordsjælland, January 2011: "Supertunge sorte huller i fjerne galakser og kvasarer"
  
• 2011: NBI Kick-off, Niels Bohr Institute, January 2011: "Kvasarer: Supertunge sorte huller i galakserne - hvad er nu det?"
  (På opfordring fra tilhørere, her er foredraget)
• 2011: Astronomisk Forening for Køge Bugt, Greve, January 2011: "Kvasarer: Supertunge sorte huller i galakserne - hvad er nu det?"
  
• 2011: "Science and Cocktails", June 2011, organized by Theory and Practice Copenhagen, sponsored by the Niels Bohr Institute: "Supermassive Black Holes, Quasars, and Baby Galaxies: How Black Holes Affect Our Universe"
  
• 2012: "Culture night", Niels Bohr Institute, October 2012: "Supertunge sorte huller i baby galakser"
  
• 2012: Folkeuniversitetet i København ("Open University in Copenhagen"), October 2012: Kæmpe sorte huller, kvasarer og baby-galakser
  
• 2012: Folkeuniversitetet i Aarhus ("Open University in Aarhus"), November 2012: Kæmpe sorte huller, kvasarer og baby-galakser
  
• 2013: Folkeuniversitetet i Vamdrup ("Open University in Vamdrup") and Orion Planetarium, March 2013; Kæmpe sorte huller, kvasarer og baby-galakser
  
• 2013: Københavns Astronomisk Forening ("Copenhagen Amateur Astronomical Association"), March 2013; Kæmpe sorte huller, kvasarer og baby-galakser samt afstandsmålinger
  
• 2014: Nova's Astrocenter, Helsingør, Nordsjælland, January 2014: "Kosmisk Afstandsmåling med sorte huller og kvasarer"
  
• 2014: "Culture night", Niels Bohr Institute, October 2014: "Monster sorte huller"
  
• 2014: Theme day for high school teachers, University of Copenhagen, October 2014: "Monster sorte huller"
  
• 2016: Theme day for Senior High School students, University of Copenhagen, March 2016: "Enorme sorte huller"
  
• 2016: Folkeuniversitetet i København ("Open University in Copenhagen"), May 2016: "Sorte huller"
  
• 2016: Folkeuniversitetet i Aarhus ("Open University in Aarhus"), May 2016: "Sorte huller"
  
• 2016: Folkeuniversitetet i Vamdrup ("Open University in Vamdrup") and Orion Planetarium, May 2016; "Galaksernes Enorme Sorte Huller"
  
• 2016: Tycho Brahe Planetarium, Copenhagen, May 2016; "Galaksernes Enorme Sorte Huller"
  
• 2016: Talk on ``Gravitational Waves'' (orig.:``Tyngdebølger'') at the very popular event `Vin & Videnskab' (translated `Wine and Science'), Statens Naturhistoriske Museum (The Natural History Museum of Denmark), October 2016, Copenhagen
• 2016: Københavns Astronomisk Forening ("Copenhagen Amateur Astronomical Association"), November 2016; "Sorte huller"
  
• 2017: Folkeuniversitetet i København ("Open University in Copenhagen"), March 2017, "Sorte Huller -- kan vi leve foruden?"
  
• 2017: Silkeborg Højskole, August 2017, "Sorte Huller -- hvordan har vi fundet dem og hvad ved vi om dem?"
  
• 2018: Kulturnat, Køge Bibliotek, February 2018: "Lys i Mørket: Tunge Sorte Hullers Hemmelige Liv i Mørket "
  
• 2018: Folkeuniversitetet i København ("Open University in Copenhagen"), April 2018: "Det mørke univers: Tunge Sorte Hullers hemmelige liv i mørket"
  
• 2018: Tycho Brahe Planetarium, Copenhagen, May 2018, 'Foredrag og Film', Invited talk on black holes (in English) to the audience before Oliver James of 'Double Negative' showed how they made the special effects of the Hollywood movie "Interstellar" (2014). "Black Holes"
  
• 2018: Folkeuniversitetet i Aarhus ("Open University in Aarhus"), May 2018: "Det mørke univers: Tunge Sorte Hullers hemmelige liv i mørket"
  
• 2018: Brorfeldes Astronomiske Vennekreds, Brorfelde Observatorium, Tølløse Folkeuniversitet ("Open University of Tølløse, Denmark"), May 2018: "Det mørke univers: Tunge Sorte Hullers hemmelige liv i mørket"
  
• 2018: Brorfelde Observatorium/Folkeuniversitetet i København ("Open University in Copenhagen"), May 2018, "Sorte Huller -- kan vi leve foruden?"
  
• 2018: Haslev Folkeuniversitet, 23 October 2018, "Det mørke univers"
  
• 2018: Haslev Folkeuniversitet, 30 October 2018, "Sorte Huller, tyngdebølger og teleskopet på Grønland"
  
• 2018: Haslev Folkeuniversitet, 27 November 2018, "Det mørke univers"
  
• 2019: Folkeuniversitetet i København ("Open University in Copenhagen"), February 2019, "På rundtur i Universet: Sorte Huller"
  
• 2019: Theme day for high school teachers, University of Copenhagen, November 2019: "Sorte huller og deres rolle i universet"
  
• 2019: Theme Saturday - Folkeuniversitetet i Aalborg ("Open University in Aalborg"), November 2019, "Sorte Huller - fra skrøne til virkelighed"
  
• 2020: Theme day for high school teachers, University of Aarhus, January 2020: "Et univers med tunge sorte huller"
  
• 2020: 'Teaching development for Astronomy' for high school teachers ("Fagudvikling i praksis - Astronomi"), Odense Katedralskole, March 2020 "Sorte huller og deres betydning for Universet "
  
• 2020: Theme Saturday - Folkeuniversitetet i København ("Open University in Copenhagen"), November 2020, "Tre store spørgsmål om Universet"
  Covered topic of supermassive black holes.
• 2021
• 2022
• [more to come...]

Press Releases

• Quasar Distance Indicator Method (Watson, Denney, Vestergaard, and Davis 2011, ApJ, 740. L49) is honored as the 4th of 10 top breakthroughs for 2011 by 'Physics World'.
  See also this link for the Physics World article
• September - October 2011: Related to ApJ Letters article "A New Cosmological Distance Measure Using Active Galactic Nuclei" by Watson, Denney, Vestergaard, Davis 2011. (more to come)
  
  TV2 News (in Danish): Forskere måler rumafstand med sorte huller
  Jyllands Posten (in Danish): Forskere måler rumafstand med sorte huller
  Link to DARK's news-info page.
  
  
• NBI Press Release March 17, 2010, related to article in Nature on potential discovery of first generation quasars "Dust-free quasars in the early Universe".
  NASA Jet Propulsion Lab press release.
  Link to DARK's news-info page.
• January 7, 2003, ``Black Holes Form First, Galaxies Follow: New Quasar Study'' by Pam Frost Gorder;
  this article also appeared in:
  • Science Blog , January 2003
  • Le Monde, France, February 2003
  • SpaceHike
• January 8, 2002, ``An Easy Method For Estimating Mass Of Distant Black Holes'' by Pam Frost Gorder

Articles in Popular Media

• December 2017, "Tyngdebølger", by Marianne Vestergaard, Troels Harmark, and Niels A. Obers, Aktuel Videnskab (in Danish). Find the PDF file here and here, a PDF with additional educational material
  
• January 2017, "Kunsten at veje et sort hul", by Marianne Vestergaard and Carsten Rabæk Kjær, Videnskaben.dk (in Danish).
• December 2016, "Kunsten at veje et sort hul" , by Marianne Vestergaard and Carsten Rabæk Kjær, Aktuel Videnskab (in Danish). Find the PDF file here
• September 2016, "Tunge Sorte Huller -- Hvad kan de bruges til?" KVANT, nr 3, September 2016 Go here: www.kvant.dk for article (in Danish)
  
• December 2014, University of Copenhagen Alumne Advent Calendar, "Monster sorte huller -- Nøglen til galaksers dannelse og udvikling" , contribution for December 2, 2014. In Danish.
• January 2014, Horizon 2020 Project Story on my Marie Curie Fellowship project `BHmass' . You can also see the article here .
• April 2010, Danmarks Radio, P1, Videnskabernes Verden ("World of the Sciences) "På galaksejagt blandt stjernestøv og sorte huller" ; Click here for podcast
• April 2003, Discover Magazine, Vol. 24, no. 4, article: ``In the Beginning, All Was - Black Holes?'' by Maia Weinstock; article at http://www.discover.com/search/ (search on `Marianne Vestergaard')
• February 2003, ``Research helps explain galaxies'' by student reporter Lindsay Holmwood

Other Contributions to Articles and Books in Popular Media

• Fall 2016, Chapter 6 on black holes in "Verdensbilledet i forandring -- et hundredårigt perspektiv", Forlaget Epsilon. Published in relation to the celebration of the 100 year anniversary of Danish Astronomical Society (in Danish).
  
• Sept. 2016, Videnskaben.dk: Hvorfor må man ikke sige neger?, Politikens forlag
  
• Sept. 2015, Videnskaben.dk: "Fungerer et sort hul som afløbet i et badekar?" (by Henrik Bendix)
• June 2015, Danmarks Radio, Nyheder - Viden, "Sort hul vågner efter 26 år og skyder med røngtenstråler"
• 2014, Contribution on black holes to the Christmas Calendar of the University of Copenhagen Alumne Association. Contribution was shown 2. December 2014: "Monster sorte huller -- Nøglen til galaksers dannelse og udvikling"
• 2014, 'Sorte huller', a 16-page pixie book on black holes for 8 - 12 year old children (in Danish). Forlaget Epsilon. ISBN: 978-87-93064-31-7
  

• December 2013, Danmarks Radio, P1, Videnskabernes Verden ("World of the Sciences) "Kan sorte huller opsluge hele Universet?" ; Click here for podcast (indslaget starter på minut 47)
• October 2012, Radio24syv: Kan man lytte til universets sorte huller? (podcast; from minute 14:00 to 22:00) (by May Bach Madsen)
• Videnskaben.dk: Forslugne Sorte Huller Spiste Måltider samtidig (by Henrik Bendix)
• Videnskaben.dk: Unik hændelse i rummet: Sort hul er ved at 'spise' gassky (by Charlotte Price Persson)
• American Association for the Advancement of Science New "intermediate black holes" discovered in galaxy M82 (by Kevin Holden)

Podcasts

• Lone Frank -- 24 Spørgsmål til professoren, 25 May 2019, Radio24syv; aired again 30 May 2022 on Weekendavisen. Sorte huller - galaksernes oprydder
• Rumsnak - Episode 3: Danske forskere foresøger at forstå de sorte huller (https://rumsnak.fireside.fm/3) 7 October 2019

KU Movies

• Peer instruction -- Kammeratlæring (in Danish). Advert and Info-movie for new potential students. (May-June 2016)
• Nomination video (in English) KU Teaching Prize 2016 (November 2016)
• Life at Nørre Campus (November 2017)

Teaching

Teacher's Workshops

• Invited talk: 'Galaxies' - an A-rated course, NBI Teachers workshop, 4. February 2016

Teaching Experience

Lecturer and instructor at:

• Bachelor, Introduction to Mechanics and Special Relativity, NBI (Fall and Winter, since fall of 2018) - A-rated (2021)
• Bachelor, Astronomy-4, Extragalactic Astrophysics - includes computer labs, Seniors, NBI (Winter 2017) - A-rated (2017)
• PhD/Master's Course, Astronomical Data Processing, NBI (Winter 2013, Fall 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017) - A-rated (2013, 2016)
• Bachelor, Astronomy-2, Galaxies - includes computer labs, sophomores, NBI (Fall 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015) - A-rated (2015)
• PhD/Master's Course, Compact Objects and Relativistic Astrophysics, NBI (Spring 2011) - A-rated (2011)
• Bachelor Astronomy-21, Galaxies and the Universe, Tufts University (Fall 2008)
• Bachelor Astronomy-9, Concepts of the Cosmos for non-science majors, Tufts University (Winters 2008 - 2009)
• Bachelor Course, Large Scale Structures in the Universe, science majors, sophomores, NBI (1994 - 1996)
• Master Course, Two-dimensional Photometry with IRAF, science majors, NBI (1994 - 1996)

Research Students

Bachelor Students - First Year Research projects

• 2021: Jakob Birkner Frederiksen, Eric Steen Ravn Bowman, Simon Hilding-Nørkjær (co-supervised with Dr. Charles Steinhardt)
• 2020: Peter Beck, Freja Amalie Nørby, Jonas Pedersen, Brage Thomsen; Winter 2020

Bachelor Senior Research Projects

• 2025 - Frida E. Jørgensen - "Mass determinations of supermassive black holes ....."
• 2024/25 - Caitlin Buck - "Mass determinations of supermassive black holes in young, distant galaxies" (Project outside course scope)
• 2024 - Fiona Hjorth Gammelgaard - "Massebestemmelse af Sorte Huller i Kvasarer"
• 2023 - Freja Amalie Nørby - "Characterising the Source of Excitation for Emission Line Gas in AGNs using data from the VLT/MUSE Instrument"; Winter/Spring 2022/23
• 2022 - Miranda Andersen - ``Characterisation of emitting sources in a southern quasar field''; Spring 2022
• 2018 - Malte Brinch - "Black hole mass determinations of quasars"; Spring 2018
• 2018 - Anders Vang - "Metallicities of quasars and their hosts" ; Fall 2016 - Spring 2018
• 2017 - Michael Haahr - "Single-epoch mass measurements of active galactic nuclei using the C IV emission line"; Summer 2017
• 2017 - Cecilie Sand Nørholm - "Examining galaxy properties with the COSMOS and SDSS Surveys", Spring 2017
• 2017 - Christopher Andersen - "Examining galaxy properties with the COSMOS and SDSS Surveys", Spring 2017
• 2016/7 - Maria Guardiola Munoz - "Determination of Mass Accretion Rate of AGN"; Fall 2016 - Winter 2017; with PD Sandra Raimundo
• 2016/7 - Rand Mudhaffar Ibrahim Sawa Tuma - "Determination of Mass Accretion Rate of AGN"; Fall 2016 - Winter 2017; with PD Sandra Raimundo
• 2016/7 - Sidse Lærke Lolk - "Black Hole Mass Determinations of Quasars"; Fall 2016 - Winter 2017
• 2016/7 - Sissel Høffner - "Reddening in the BLR of AGN" ; Fall 2016 - Winter 2017
• 2016 - Sarah Chase (visiting from UC Berkeley; Winter-Spring 2016)
• 2016 - Lars Thomsen ("Black Hole Mass Determination of Quasars observed with VLT/Xshooter", Winter-Spring 2016)
• 2016 - Mikkel Tang ("Determination of Mass Accretion Rate of AGN", Winter-Spring 2016; with PD Sandra Raimundo)
• 2016 - Christian Michelsen ("GR effects and supermassive black holes", Winter-Spring 2016)
• 2015 - Oliver Damkjær ("Masses of central black holes in distant active galaxies and quasars from single-epoch spectra", Fall 2015 - Spring 2015))
• 2014 - Maren Malling ("Spectral Energy Distributions and Eddington Luminosity Ratios of Nearby Active Galactic Nuclei as observed with the Swift Satellite") (Spring 2014)
• 2014 - Rasmus Hjorth ("Spectral Energy Distributions and Eddington Luminosity Ratios of Nearby Active Galactic Nuclei as observed with the Swift Satellite") (Spring 2014)
• 2013 - Lukas Svarre Engedal ("Investigating the host galaxy contribution in spectra of Active Galactic Nuclei with simulations", Spring 2013)
• 2013 - Kim Kobusch Simonsen ("An investigation of quasar elemental abundances in the UV-band", Spring 2013)
• 2013 - Mikkel Theiss Kristensen ("An investigation of quasar elemental abundances in the UV-band", Spring 2013)
• 2012 - Thorbjørn Nielsen ("Optimizing and testing of software to decompose quasar spectra of the Sloan Digitial Sky Survey", Fall 2011 - Winter 2012)
• 2011 - Louise Dyregård Nielsen ("Active Galactic Nuclei: An extended Analysis", Fall 2010 - Spring 2011)
• 2010 - Troels Paarup ("Superposition of Strong MgII absorbers on QSO spectral features", Fall 2009 - Winter 2010, co-supervised; indep. project 2010)
• 2010 - Morten Lund Schmidt ("Superposition of Strong MgII absorbers on QSO spectral features", Fall 2009 - Winter 2010, co-supervised; indep. project 2010)
• 2010 - Daniel Lawther ("Superposition of Strong MgII absorbers on QSO spectral features", Fall 2009 - Winter 2010, co-supervised; indep. project 2010)

Master's Students

• 2026 Ivan Kanev - Master's thesis: February 2025 - June 2026: "Title"
• 2025 Freja Amalie Nørby - - Master's thesis: August 2024 - June 2025: ""Title
• 2025 Liam de Burca - Master's thesis: August 2024 - June 2025: ""Title
• 2024 Ivan Kanev - "Modeling AGNs: An Introductory Project with Cloudy Software" (Project outside Course Scope)
• 2024 Miranda H. Andersen - Master's thesis: August 2023 - June 2024: ""Title
• 2023 Fabiano Traccana - Master's thesis: February 2023 - November 2023:
• 2021 Oliver Damkjær - Master's thesis: March 2020 - March 2021: "A study of molecular gas in nearby active galactic nuclei with Atacama Pathfinder EXperiment, APEX"
• 2019 Isabelle Gauger - Master's thesis: September 2018 - August 2019: "Metal abundances in the broad line region of distant quasars and in their host galaxies"
• 2018 Panos Charalampopoulos - Independent Project June-August 2019: "Spectroscopic analysis of the Tidal Disruption Event LSQ12dyw" , co-supervised with Dr. Giorgos Leloudas
• 2018 Sebastian Ollikainen: Master's thesis: Februar 2017 - August 2018: "Black hole mass measurements in redshift 2 quasars"
• 2018 Maria Fevre Vestergaard Knudsen (now Kronskov): Master's thesis: Februar 2017 - August 2018: "What the emission of AGN reveal of the black hole powering them"; co-supervised with Dr. Sandra Raimundo
• 2017 Maria Hammerstrøm: Master's Thesis: August 2016 -> June 2017: "How well can the AGN host galaxy light level be determined from spectral analysis?"
• 2016 Amanda Larssen: Master's Thesis: September 2013 -> November 2016: "Dust reddening in quasars: A study of redshift and luminosity dependence of extinction, and of dust as a main explanation of quasar UV SED diversity"
• 2016 Maren Malling: Independent project: November 2014 - January 2015; Master's thesis: May 2015 -> August 2016: "The Balmer Decrement of Low Redshift Active Galactic Nuclei: Comparing two methods of calculation for a large sample."
• 2015 Anna-Sofie Zahl: Master's Thesis: January 2014 -> April 2015: "Investigating the FeII/MgII-ratio as a possible metallicity tracer in high redshift Quasars"
• 2013 Troels Paarup: Master's Thesis; March 2012 -> August 2013: "Quasar K-correction in the UV-optical spectral region and broad emission line shape parameter dependence on Eddington ratio."
• 2013 Daniel Lawther: Master's Thesis; January 2012 -> May 2013: "Disentangling the Light. An imaging study of FeLoBAL quasar host galaxies"
• 2012 Jens Juel Jensen: Independent Project; Fall 2010 - Spring 2011; Master's Thesis; October 2011 - August 2012: "Investigating a Robust Method to Characterize the Velocity Field of the Broad Line Region in Quasars"

PhD Students

• Vito Tuhtan - October 2024 - Sept 2027
• Oliver Damkjær - Sept. 2021 - Aug. 2024.
• Diego Farias - Co-supervised with Christa Gall; Sept. 2021 - May 2025
• Daniel Lawther - Grad. November 2020 ; Postdoc at University of Arizona
• Jens Juel Jensen - Grad. June 2018 ; works in his co-owned and co-founded company Motosumo in Copenhagen
• Anthea King - Grad. November 2015 ; co-supervised; Postdoc Univ. Melbourne w/Webster)
• Ece Kilerci Eser - Grad. October 2014 ; Maternity leave 2015-2016; Taiwan with Tomo Goto: 08/2016 -> 01/2017; Istanbul 01/2017 ->)

Postdocs

• Anne Klitsch (November 2019 - January 2023)
• Sandra Raimundo (September 2015 -- June 2020) - Assistant professor, Sept. 2019 - June 2020.
• Kevin Koay (October 2013 -- October 2016; thereafter, Postdoctoral Fellow with the Greenland Telescope team at ASIAA, Taiwan)
• DARK Fellow/Marie Curie Fellow Kelly Denney (January 2011 -- October 2013; NSF Postdoctoral Fellow at Ohio State University, 2013 -- 2016; employed in private sector since Oct. 2016)

PhD Dissertation

The variation in quasar UV broad emission-line profiles with radio power and with source inclination are analysed for clues to the fundamental differences between the radio-loud and radio-quiet subclasses.
(Extended abstract)

Advisors

• Dr. Belinda Wilkes, High Energy Astrophysics Division, CfA/Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) (now in England)
• Dr. Peter Barthel Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, Groningen University, The Netherlands (retired)
• Lektor Leif Hansen, Copenhagen University (retired)

mvester 'at' nbi.ku.dk.