Tassneem Hamed has always been passionate about space and art.
“Space is just so cool and mysterious and absolutely massive. I’ve always had this sense of wonder ignited towards learning about our universe,” she said.
Hamed, BSc’22, recently received the prestigious Zenith Fellowship from the Zenith Canada Pathways Foundation (ZCPF), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting equity, diversity and inclusion in Canada’s space sector.
The Zenith Fellowship has chosen 25 students from across North America for its 2024 class. Selected from applicants affiliated with 24 institutions, these individuals were distinguished by their leadership skills, community service and passion for space.
The class consists of 10 Zenith Fellow interns, who will undertake a four-month internship, and 15 Zenith fellow mentees, of which Hamed is one, all of whom will receive mentorship and professional development opportunities. These fellows were chosen after a rigorous selection process, including final interviews with eight host organizations within the Canadian space sector.
A Western graduate with a double major in astrophysics and studio art, Hamed says her journey is a testament to the power of merging science with art to explore the cosmos.
Tassneem Hamed
“I’m an artist as well as a space enthusiast. I was always really inspired by physics and the sciences. This curiosity for the mysteries that govern our universe is what a lot of my artworks explore,” Hamed said.
Western’s studio art courses allowed Hamed to explore her passion further and create unique art inspired by her science courses.
This unique approach laid the groundwork for her involvement with the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC) as a junior designer. SGAC is a global non-profit organization and network aiming to connect university students and young space professionals to the United Nations, space agencies, industry and academia, focusing on the peaceful uses of outer space.
At SGAC, Hamed has contributed to organizing events like an international hackathon, a collaborative competition where participants created solutions using space technology to improve gender equality for women in remote areas.
Through networking and initiative, Hamed has explored opportunities at the intersection of science visualization and art, most recently creating images of celestial phenomena using data from the James Webb Space Telescope.
Hamed’s goal as an artist is to spark curiosity, challenge existing ideas, and create connections across different cultures and languages. With her art, she encourages people to join in a cosmic conversation, sharing her own stories of the stars while motivating others to share theirs.
“My biggest dream is to go to space and to paint there,” said Hamed.
