From down under to the brightest light in Canada
Mark Boland begins a new dual role this week: machine director at the Canadian Light Source and associate professor in the U of S Department of Physics and Engineering Physics.
By University Communications“I’ve had the privilege of working with Mark for several years and I am confident that he will provide the vision, strategy and leadership needed to maintain the Canadian Light Source machine operating optimally, ensuring that we continue to be globally competitive through a range of new initiatives,” said Rob Lamb, CEO of the Canadian Light Source.
As machine director, Boland will provide strategic leadership in the development and operation of the most complex scientific instrument in Canada.
“The recruitment of Mark Boland is another terrific example of how the U of S continues to attract outstanding scientists from around the world, many of whom are drawn by the tremendous research opportunities presented by having Canada’s only synchrotron—one of the best in the world—right on our doorstep,” said Karen Chad, U of S vice-president research.
“Mark’s expertise gained from working at top synchrotrons around the world will inspire students and enhance research success at the Canadian Light Source.”
Boland is the co-founder and a director of the Australian Collaboration for Accelerator Science, an organization linking all the top accelerator research facilities in Australia. As the recipient of a 2014 Fulbright Professional Scholarship in Nuclear Science and Technology, he also conducted research at the Stanford University light source.
Boland completed his PhD in photonuclear studies from the University of Melbourne in 2001 before moving to Sweden to work for two years as a post-doctoral fellow at the Swedish light source. He then returned to Melbourne as a lead accelerator physicist at the Australian Synchrotron, where he rose to become principal scientist in the Accelerator Physics Group and an honorary senior research fellow at the School of Physics at the University of Melbourne.
“The Canadian Light Source is one of the best light sources in the world. The team here is extremely talented and I’m eager to being working with them. I’m also looking forward to starting a new life in Saskatoon,” said Boland.
The Canadian Light Source at the University of Saskatchewan is a national research facility, producing the brightest light in Canada—millions of times brighter than even the sun. One of the largest science projects in our country’s history, more than 1,000 scientists from around the world use our light every year to conduct ground-breaking health, agricultural, environmental and advanced materials research.