Distinguishing the separate contributions of environmental versus in situ processes is critical to understanding galaxy evolution. Observational studies have had increasing success quantifying the role of environment and mass in shaping galaxy properties. I will show how star formation rates and morphological fractions depend both on mass and environment. However, it is yet not clear how they are related. I will show that the observed galaxy stellar mass function is very similar in the field, groups and clusters and its evolution with time (from z=0.6 to 0) does not depend on environment. In contrast, the mass function does depend on local density, both in clusters and in the field, both at high and low-z. The nature of these discrepancies can provide valuable insight into the processes regulating mass growth in the universe.

Quasars are powerful probes of the early Universe, although until recently it has not been practical to search for quasars beyond a redshift of z > 6.5 because they have been identified primarily in optical surveys. Using data from the UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS), it has been possible to search beyond this optical limit. I will describe the latest results for this survey, focusing on the search methodology and the implications for cosmological reionization out to a redshift of ~7.

I will describe the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA), a new low frequency (80 - 300 MHz) interferometer that consists of 128 aperture array "tiles" with a maximum baseline of 3 km.  The MWA is located in the pristine environment of remote Western Australia, one of the two sites that will host the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), and is the only low frequency Precursor for the SKA (one of three official Precursors).  The science mission for the MWA includes: the search for redshifted HI signals from the Epoch of Reionisation (EoR); studies of fast and slow transients and variable objects; large-scale galactic and extragalactic continuum surveys (full Stokes); and studies of solar, heliospheric and ionospheric phenomena.  Key characteristics that enable the suite of MWA science goals include its very wide field of view (~600 sq. deg. corresponding to primary beam FWHM at 150 MHz), flexible signal processing backend, and massive data archive capability.  I'll describe the completion of the construction phase of the instrument, its capabilities, the science mission, results from science commissioning and the commencement of full science operations expected from July 2013.  I will briefly describe the central role the MWA will play during the SKA pre-construction phase (2013 - 2016), particular to the development of the low frequency SKA.

While we have made significant progress in our theoretical understanding of gas flows in galaxies, empirical constraints on the physical properties of the circumgalactic medium and its dependence on galaxy properties are lacking. On the observational side, QSO absorption lines systems constitutes sensitive probes of the extended (\sim 100 kpc) gaseous halos around galaxies. In my talk, I will present recent efforts to unveil these gaseous halos through the detection of MgII 2796,2803 absorption doublets. Specifically, I will discuss recent results indicating that ultra-strong MgII absorbers may trace the intragroup medium of gas-rich galaxy groups at z\sim0.5. I argue that the MgII gas originate in the stripped material of the group members orbiting the parent dark matter halo.

I will present recent efforts to address the widely debated reliability of CIV-based AGN black hole mass estimates, and I will explain the primary cause for the apparent discrepancy between these and Hbeta-based masses. The results of such analyses provide a set of 'best practices' for obtaining reliable CIV-based mass estimates for future studies of galaxy evolution and cosmic accretion history. In addition, I will show that through a reduction in the scatter and a solid understanding of the physical origin, the Broad Line Region Radius-Luminosity relationship that is derived from reverberation mapping, and which makes high-redshift black hole mass estimates possible, has a new, potential application: as a cosmic distance indicator. I will discuss this possibility and current efforts underway to investigate the possible future use of this newly suggested rung to the distance ladder.

This is meant to be a thoughtful talk on the LSST "era". Unlike other highly ranked projects of past (e.g. VLA, Keck, ALMA) LSST is largely not self contained. The project expects to merely deliver data products and transient alerts. Yet, our beloved ASTRO-2010 plan makes no account of this huge imbalance. The speaker will summarize the consequences of this lack of planning -- namely a grim decade with clear winners (those with in-house follow up resources will be winners and the rest will be losers).

Remarkable progress has been achieved in recent years in quantifying the molecular, atomic and dusty properties of the interstellar medium (ISM) and their relation to star formation in nearby galaxies. This is mainly thanks to a number of dedicated multi-wavelength surveys. For the ISM these include the VLA THINGS and IRAM 30m HERACLES surveys which provide a rigorous view on the atomic and molecular ISM on kiloparsec scales across 50 nearby spiral and dwarf galaxies. I will highlight and describe some of the recent results that emerged from these efforts and review our current understanding of the ISM properties on galactic scales, with a focus on the molecular gas phase, and its relation to star formation in nearby galaxies. I will conclude highlighting ongoing work which extends the studies of the star formation process from galactic to molecular cloud scales, the true entities where stars form.

The field of exoplanetology has recently transitioned from the investigation of individual objects to statistical studies. In this talk, I discuss both the statistical approach of planetary detection and the individual characterisation of their atmospheres.

The CoRoT and Kepler space missions have revealed an unprecedented number of small exoplanet candidates. However, a fundamental question remains about the large sample of Kepler candidates: are these objects really bona-fide planets? I will discuss methods that we are employing to answer this question.

Answers to key questions about exoplanet science come not only from statistics, but also from individual characterisation. Studying the atmospheres of exoplanets is the next step in leveraging their detections to further transform our understanding of planetary formation and physics. This is because a planet's atmosphere provides a fossil record of its primordial origins and controls its fate, size and appearance. I present ongoing comparative exoplanetology programs that aim to characterise planetary systems transiting nearby stars through the observations of their atmospheres. I combine ground- and space-based multi-wavelength observations secured over wide spectral regions in order to probe exoplanet atmospheres. These projects provide insights into the formation and evolution of planetary systems and enhance our understanding of our own Solar System's formation. Finally, I also discuss the prospect of probing rocky exoplanet atmospheres orbiting in the habitable zone of their parent stars with future facilities.

The epoch of z~2-3 is a noticeably more active time in our universe for galaxies, with the global star-formation rate density at its peak. Many internal and external processes such as large-scale outflows from star formation activity, inflows from cool gas, mergers, and environment can alter the properties (e.g. structure, metallicity, star-formation rate, velocity dispersion) and evolution of galaxies. In the rest-frame optical many important diagnostic lines exist that allow one to study galaxy properties, including the Balmer series, [OIII]?5007, and [NII]?6584. Once you reach z~2-3, however, these lines have become very faint and have shifted into the near-infrared wavelength regime. As a consequence of this, near-IR spectroscopy on a large telescope plays an integral role in studying high-redshift galaxies. I will discuss several studies utilizing infrared observations, including new results from MOSFIRE, that examine how gas supplies are regulated during galaxy formation at z~2-3.