Ambassador: Robin Jeffries
- Current role:
- Academic (teaching and research)
- Institution:
- Keele University
- Discipline:
- Physical sciences and astronomy
Biography
I graduated with a BSc in Physics with Astrophysics from the University of Birmingham in 1987 and stayed to do a PhD and research in X-ray astronomy using satellite instrumentation. Since moving to Keele in 1995 my research interests have focused on the early lives of stars like the Sun and the growth and development of their planetary systems. Most of my work involves using the world's largest optical and infrared telescopes to probe the conditions in and around young stars.
What motivated you to engage the public with your work?
I have always been a passionate believer in engaging the public, not only with my own research, but with the fantastic work being done by astronomers and astrophysicists worldwide. Throughout my career I have been deeply committed to this aim.
Describe the public engagement work you have done
Since 1996 I have run 14 adult education courses at Keele University, attended by approximately 400 students. The topics of these courses change from year-to-year and have included "The Secret Lives of Stars", "Galaxies and Cosmology", "Tonight on the William Herschel Telescope" and "Life, the Universe and Everything". The current course is "Exoplanets and the Search for Life" and includes engagement based on the highly successful WASP transiting exoplanet search conducted (partly) at Keele.
I operate a portable planetarium that I take into schools in partnership with Keele's Widening Participation Division. This activity has increased significantly in the last 18 months. I visited 12 schools in 2010 and gave planetarium presentations to approximately 2000 11-18 year old children as well as "performing" at a number of science events and open evenings.
I have been a STEM ambassador since 2009. I have a particular association with one school, where I am the Chair of Governors and link governor for science. I have organised a number of events at the school and two after-school clubs.
I have links with the West Midlands Science Learning Centre at Keele, where I am a regular contributor to their extramural training courses for secondary school science teachers. I also have links with Keele's Widening Participation Division. I host school visits and activities at Keele's observatory and next year I will deliver "master classes" to large groups of sixth form students on the topic of searching for planets around other stars.
I regularly give talks to astronomical societies about my work and other areas of topical astronomy interest.
Some more details can be found at www.astro.keele.ac.uk/~rdj/outreach.html
