I actively take part in public engagement. This includes going to science festivals with activities I have developed with colleagues, giving talks at schools and helping out at events at the University. I have been a STEM ambassador since 2009 and am keen to get more involved with local schools so feel free to get in touch with me if you are would like to arrange an astronomy/space lesson.

At the University of Birmingham we hold a monthly astronomy event open to the public where after a talk and ask the experts opportunity, the public can do some astronomy with our amateur telescopes or the 0.5m telescope in the observatory. These events are held in partnership with local communities: UoB astrosoc, Birmingham Astronomical Society, Knowle Astronomical Society, Solihull School and Circles of Influence. More information on these events can be found here http://www.sr.bham.ac.uk/observatory/astronomyinthecity.php 

I have been a member of UKSEDS since 2012 and although I resigned from the role of Head of Outreach in 2013, I am still closely involved in the activities. In 2015 I was awarded the UKSEDS outreach ambassador of the year award for my contribution to public engagement. Below is a more detailed timeline of things I have been involved in.

Between June and September 2016, I worked with the University of Birmingham to create a web resource for A-level students looking to do Physics at University, these included the videos and podcasts that I scripted and feature in, and the creation of the web content.

For more see: http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/undergraduate/preparing-for-university/stem/Physics.aspx

Activities

Oct 2024 Ada Lovelace symposium, “Coding the Cosmos”, speaker, University of Nottingham, UK

Sep 2024 Panellist on Girls Programming League at The Harker School, San Jose, CA, USA
A Q&A session centered around a coding competition attended by ~200 high school, middle school female and non-binary students.

Feb 2024 Speaker, Fulneck School, Pudsey, UK
I gave 2 talks to a small, independent school. One on the “Formation of the Universe” to ~200 secondary school students, and one on “machine learning in astronomy” to ~10 A-level Physics students.

Jan 2024 itelescope, Webinar, “Light Bends, Darkness Reveals”

Sep 2023 Ratio, Speaker, “The Dark Universe In the Eyes of Euclid”, Sofia, Bulgaria

Sep 2023 Ratio, Podcast, “AI Slavery & Space”, Sofia, Bulgaria

Oct 2022 Ada Lovelace Symposium, “A 1st-generation immigrants journey from Earth to the depths of the Universe”, speaker, University of Nottingham, UK

Nov 2021 Ruscliffe School, “The making of an astronomer”, speaker, Nottingham, UK

Aug 2021 Supercollider, “Finding Asteroids”, virtual talk

Feb 2021 Yorkshire Dales / North York Moors Dark Skies Festival, “The artificial intelligence take over of space and astronomy”, Talk, virtual

Dec 2020 TEDxUCR, “Humans vs Machines”, talk

Mar 2020 St John’s School, “The Dark Universe”, speaker, Leatherhead, UK

Sep 2019 ESA Symposium on Space Educational Activities, Keynote Speaker, Leicester, UK

May 2019 J on the Beach, “The big data Universe, literally”, Keynote speaker, Marbella, ES

Jun 2018 Ratio, “The Dark Universe in the Eyes of Euclid”, Keynote speaker, Sofia, Bg

Apr 2018 Space Rocks, “Euclid” Keynote speaker and panelist, O2 Arena, London, UK

Nov 2017 I’m a scientist get me out of here, contestant, online

Aug 2017 Gamescom, exhibitor for Mars Pioneer, Cologne, DE

Jun 2016 ThinkTank gravitational waves exhibition, volunteer, Birmingham, UK

Jun 2016 TEDxBirmingham, Volunteer, Birmingham, UK

Jan 2016 Women in Physics, A-level support day – Institute of Physics, London

An event held for y11/12 students as an insight to the different career pathways from A-level physics that included a speed networking event with professional women who had studied physics.

Nov 2015 UCL/Birbeck APEX talk, ‘Can Humans really relocate to Mars’

Nov 2015 British Interplanetary Society, ‘Can Humans really relocate to Mars’ talk

Oct 2015 BIS Expert Panel for The Martian, Odeon Greenwich

Oct 2015 Meet the expert, Thinktank, Birmingham

Sep 2015 Wrote the foreward for children’s book – ‘Time Travelling Toby and the apollo moon landings’ by  Graham Jones

Jul 2015 UK space conference, volunteer, Liverpool

Jun 2015 Big Bang Schools Workshop, Shireland Collegiate Academy.

Interactive day with activities relating to research at the University of Birmingham, Astronomy and astrophysics including gravity, lensing, and gravitational waves.

May 2015 The origins and transmission of culture conference – invited speaker, UoB.

Apr 2015 Gravity School workshop at the University of Birmingham

Talk and activities based surrounding gravity for y9-11 students

Apr 2015 Caltech Post-doc Lunch – talk on human exploration of Mars.

18th Mar 2015 Woodlands Academy, Coventry – talk on Mars and Q&A session.

17th Mar 2015 Solihull School, Solihull – talk on Mars and Q&A session with ~40 kids aged 8.

Mar 2015 Big Bang Fair, NEC, Birmingham – UKSEDS exhibitor

3rd Mar 2015 King Edward VI Five Ways school, Birmingham – talk on Mars with an audience of ~1200 11-18 year olds.

4th Feb 2015 Skype Q&A, Selsdon Primary School, Surrey

Nov 2014 Teen Takeover, Thinktank, Birmingham

Meet the scientists stall with interactive activities for an event aimed at 13-16 year olds.

Oct 2014 Federation of Astronomical Societies Convention

Invited Speaker, “Human exploration of Mars”

Oct 2014 World Space Week 

Involvement in coordinating events in the UK and running of a geocaching event in the West Midlands.

Sept 2014 – 2016 Astronomy in the city, University of Birmingham Observatory

Monthly event held within the School of Physical Sciences to showcase our research both verbally through engaging talks and physically with our live demonstrations, ask the experts session, learn to use a telescope and what to look at in the night sky and enjoy the opportunity to visit our observatory.

Sept 2014 GIRLS in STEM day, University of Birmingham

Running of 2x1hr gravity themed interactive sessions for ~30 year 9 girls.

Sept 2014 University of Birmingham open day

Volunteer to showcase the research carried out within the Astrophysics group and also communicating to potential students and their parents the Physics course and student life.

Sept 2014 University of Birmingham Thinkcorner

A popup shop in the city centre showcasing the research carried out at the University to the general public. We brought along several activities relating to our work within the Astrophysics group, in particular black holes, gravitational lensing and gravitational waves.

Aug 2014 WINGS2014 International Guide and Scouts camp

I was Space camp activity provider for Scouts and Guides to obtain their space badge! This event was very challenging since the kids came from all over the world. Explaining science concepts such as planetary orbits to young children takes practice but explaining it to kids that don’t speak the same language as you is a whole other experience!

July 2014 – Farnborough Air Show – Exhibitor

June 2014 – 2016  IMPACT – Conference Steering Committee Board

May 2014 Shirley Scouts – Talk “Exploration of Mars”

Mar 2014 Big Bang Fair, Brimingham, UK – UKSEDS exibitor

Jan-Mar 2014 Astronomy in the city, University of Birmingham Observatory

Sep 2013 European Planetary Science Congress, UKSEDS exhibitor, London

Jul 2013 UoB School Astronomy Day volunteer

Jun 2013 Big Bang West Midland w/ UKSEDS, Coventry

2013-2014 UCLA Alumni regional committee

May 2013 International Astronomy Show, Warwick -British Interplanetary Society, Exibitor

Mar 2013 Arts and Science Festival – Outreach, University of Birmingham

Mar 2013 Outreach activity – Big Bang Fair, London Excel Center

Mar 2013 Science Busking – Oxfordshire Science Festival

Feb 2013 Meteorites workshop – UKSEDS conference 2013, Bristol University

Jan 2013 Gravitational waves group outreach activity – BBC Stargazing live, UoB

Nov 2012 ‘Getting involved in outreach’ talk – UKSEDS workshop 2012, Kingston University

2012-present British Interplanetary Society Education and Outreach Committee

2012-13 Head of Outreach UKSEDs

2010-11 UCLA Undergraduate astronomical society

2009-2016 STEMnet ambassador

2009-2010 UKC, Physics and Astronomy outreach volunteer

2008-12 UKC Space Society, Telescope officer in ’12