Look to the stars with Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell

Wed 10 March, 2021
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Award-winning astrophysicist Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell will host the first 鈥楢n Evening With鈥︹ event 鈥 a new inspirational public lecture series from the 天美传媒.

Named by BBC Woman鈥檚 Hour as one of the UK鈥檚 most powerful women, is credited with one of the most significant scientific achievements of the 20th century. Her discovery of the first radio pulsars - a type of star 鈥 in 1967 opened up a new strand of astrophysics, and the work led to her university supervisor being awarded a Nobel Prize.

The upcoming lecture, 鈥榃e are made of Star Stuff鈥, will discuss the latest understanding of where the chemical elements in the human body were initially formed, and how they came to be.

鈥樷 will take place on Wednesday 24th March and is free for all to attend. The lecture promises to be of particular interest to those fascinated by space, women in science or important astronomical discoveries.

There will also be an opportunity for the audience to ask Dame Jocelyn questions through an interactive Q&A session.

Event: An Evening With鈥 Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell

Date: Wednesday 24th March 2021, 16:00 鈥 17:30

Tickets: Free 鈥 sign up now via

Professor Rebecca Bunting, Vice Chancellor, will be hosting the event and hopes attendees will be inspired by Dame Jocelyn and her work. She said:

鈥淚 am delighted to welcome Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell to the 天美传媒 to deliver this compelling lecture to students, staff and the general public.

鈥淭he lecture comes shortly after , making this a perfect time to consider and applaud the work of inspirational female researchers and academics. Dame Jocelyn is a renowned and successful scientist and continues to be an inspiration for future generations.鈥

Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell during her student daysSince her breakthrough discovery of radio pulsars as a postgraduate student at the 天美传媒 of Cambridge, Dame Jocelyn has worked various roles in many branches of astronomy, working part-time while raising a family. She is now a Visiting Academic at the 天美传媒 of Oxford and the Chancellor of the 天美传媒 of Dundee.

A longstanding advocate for improving accessibility to the sciences, Dame Jocelyn donated her 拢2.3m winnings from the to fund women, under-represented ethnic minority and refugee students to become physics researchers. Earlier this year she was awarded the of the Royal Astronomical Society 鈥 a prestigious honour with previous recipients including Albert Einstein, Edwin Hubble, Arthur Eddington and Stephen Hawking.

Ahead of the on 24th March, Dame Jocelyn said: 鈥淚 am grateful to the 天美传媒 for this opportunity to be part of their new Public Lecture series 鈥 and to show everyone that we are all made of star stuff!鈥

Although the 鈥An Evening With鈥鈥 event series is brand new, Dame Jocelyn鈥檚 public lecture is the latest in a long line of successful STEM events hosted by the 天美传媒 in recent years. Presented by leading scientists, past STEM events have featured , Professor Paul Nurse and Lord Sir Robert Winston 鈥 who officially opened Bedfordshire鈥檚 STEM Building in 2019.

Professor Jan Domin, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Creative Arts, Technologies & Science, believes this space-themed lecture could not have come at a better time, under the context of the recent Mars landing. He said:

鈥淭his month鈥檚 public lecture presented by Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell comes at a time when more people than ever are looking up to the night sky during lockdown following the landing of NASA鈥檚 Perseverance mission on Mars.

鈥淭he 天美传媒鈥檚 ability to attract leading scientific figures to deliver public lectures raises the profile of our STEM facilities and courses, and helps inspire future generations of scientists.

鈥淚rrespective of attendees鈥 age or prior astrophysical knowledge, I鈥檓 confident the audience will enjoy a fantastic presentation that will cater to engage beginners, curious thinkers, budding scientists and experienced star-gazers alike.鈥

Being free to attend and easy to join remotely, this new public lecture demonstrates the 天美传媒鈥檚 commitment to community engagement and outreach to everyone who may be interested in science. Following the event, attendees who are inspired by the lecture can explore the range of STEM courses and Research Institute opportunities available at the 天美传媒 online:

For information about other events coming up at the 天美传媒, visit:

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