What's the Big Idea?

University of Manitoba President Michael Benarroch live in conversation with Nobel Prize-winning astrophysicist, UM alum, and the Albert Einstein Professor Emeritus at Princeton Dr. James Peebles. Together, they'll unpack some of Dr. Peebles's groundbreaking work that has been vital to our understanding of the universe, including topics like the Big Bang Theory and dark matter. 

We'll also hear from a UM sophomore and aspiring astrophysicist and hear Dr. Peebles take questions from our live audience.

About the host

Michael Benarroch became President of the University of Manitoba on July 1, 2020. Dr. Benarroch is a Manitoban and former Dean of the I.H. Asper School of Business (2011-2017). He returns to Winnipeg where he maintains strong community-wide connections and a lifelong dedication to transformative higher education. His career includes serving as Provost and Vice-President (Academic) at Toronto Metropolitan University (2017-2020), acting as the institution’s chief academic and operating officer as well as a tenured professor in the department of Economics, Faculty of Arts. He co-chaired Toronto Metropolitan University's Truth and Reconciliation Implementation Committee and is an active advocate for the advancement of Indigenous engagement and reconciliation.

About the guest

James Peebles is a Canadian-born physicist who was awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize for Physics for his work on physical cosmology. Peebles received a bachelor’s degree in 1958 from the University of Manitoba and a doctorate in 1962 from Princeton University. He remained at Princeton for the remainder of his career, becoming an assistant professor in 1965 and a full professor in 1972. He became the Albert Einstein Professor of Science in 1984 and a professor emeritus in 2000.

About the University of Manitoba

The University of Manitoba is western Canada’s first university, Manitoba's only research-intensive university, is located on original lands of Anishinaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and on the homeland of the Métis Nation.