Professor Gillian Wright, Director at the UK Astronomy Technology Centre in Edinburgh, has received a CBE for services to astronomy in the New Year Honours List.
The Honour acknowledges her contributions to astronomy through international missions. Alongside her position as Director of the UK ATC, Professor Wright has a leading role as European Principal Investigator on the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). JWST is the most powerful telescope ever launched into space and the spectacular images, that were first released in July 2022, are expanding our understanding of the Universe.
Prior to joining the UK Astronomy Technology Centre (UK ATC), where she has worked on several infrared instrumentation projects, the Hamilton-born scientist worked at Imperial College in London and the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope on Mauna Kea in Hawaii. She became Director at the UK ATC, based at the Royal Observatory in Edinburgh, in 2012, overseeing work on some of the world’s foremost astronomy projects. Throughout her career she has been a keen and active advocate for public engagement to encourage STEM skills.
Professor Wright said: “This is a great honour that also acknowledges the importance of science and highlights the strong astronomy and engineering skills in Scotland. Work on this scale is only possible through international partnerships and teamwork. I would like to thank everyone at the UK ATC and the JWST and MIRI team for their collaborative approach, hard work and enthusiasm.”
Acknowledgement: J. Schmidt
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
