Shaw-IAU Workshops by the OAE

We present two interlinked initiatives bridging cutting-edge astrophysics with research-based education: Radio Galaxy Zoo EMU (RGZ-EMU) and Radio Astronomy for Development, Intercultural Innovation, and Outreach (RADIIO). RGZ-EMU uses citizen science and AI to identify and classify radio galaxies in the EMU survey (radio telescope ASKAP), generating high-quality training data for open science catalogs in order to study galaxy evolution. RADIIO brings this experience to classrooms in Greece, Pakistan, and China, where students build low-cost radio telescopes, analyse real data, and connect across cultures. Funded by the OAD-IAU, the project promotes STEM learning through authentic data, citizen science, and intercultural collaboration, empowering students to take part in real research.

About Eleni Vardoulaki

Dr Eleni Vardoulaki is an astrophysicist at the National Observatory of Athens, a member of the NAEC team for Greece within the IAU Office of Astronomy for Education, and the PI of the educational program RADIIO (OAD-IAU funded). She holds a PhD from the University of Oxford and studies active galaxies across the electromagnetic spectrum and their interaction with the surrounding environment. A member of several international collaborations, she has extensive experience in research, student supervision, science communication and education. She has worked at seven international institutes around the world. She is the PI of the COSMOS LOFAR survey and the co-PI of the citizen science project Radio Galaxy Zoo EMU.