Professor Michele Dougherty has officially been approved by His Majesty The King as the new Astronomer Royal, marking a historic moment as the first woman to hold the title since its establishment in 1675.
Professor Dougherty takes over from Lord Martin Rees, who is retiring after serving in the role. The Astronomer Royal was originally created with the task of improving navigation by determining longitude at sea, and the position was based at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich. Today, the role is honorary and is awarded to a distinguished astronomer, who may be called upon to provide advice to the Monarch on astronomical matters.
Professor Dougherty brings with her an impressive portfolio of leadership and academic roles. She currently serves as Executive Chair of the Science and Technology Facilities Council, is the President-elect of the Institute of Physics, and holds the position of Professor of Space Physics at Imperial College London.
“I am absolutely delighted to be taking on the important role of Astronomer Royal. As a young child I never thought I’d end up working on planetary spacecraft missions and science, so I can’t quite believe I’m actually taking on this position. In this role I look forward to engaging the general public in how exciting astronomy is, and how important it and its outcomes are to our everyday life,” said Professor Dougherty.
Government Chief Scientific Adviser, Professor Dame Angela McLean, offered her praise for the appointment, saying: “Warm congratulations to Professor Michele Dougherty on her appointment to the distinguished position of Astronomer Royal. This is a fitting recognition of her outstanding work and enduring commitment to the field of astronomy.”
The appointment comes at a time when the government is investing in programmes to improve the participation of women in STEM. An £8.2 million funding package is currently supporting 7,500 girls in advanced mathematics education. Additionally, the nationwide STEM Ambassadors programme, which engages with young people to promote science and technology careers, includes over 28,000 volunteers, 48% of whom are women.
