Named by BBC Woman’s Hour as one of the UK’s most powerful women, Dame Jocelyn 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 – 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, ‘We are made of Star Stuff’, will discuss the latest understanding of where the chemical elements in the human body were initially formed, and how they came to be.

‘An Evening With… Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell’ will take place on Wednesday 24^th 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… Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell

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

Tickets: Free – sign up now via Eventbrite

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

“I am delighted to welcome Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell to the University of Bedfordshire to deliver this compelling lecture to students, staff and the general public.

“The lecture comes shortly after International Women’s Day, 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.”

Since her breakthrough discovery of radio pulsars as a postgraduate student at the University 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 University of Oxford and the Chancellor of the University of Dundee.

A longstanding advocate for improving accessibility to the sciences, Dame Jocelyn donated her £2.3m winnings from the 2018 Breakthrough Prize to fund women, under-represented ethnic minority and refugee students to become physics researchers. Earlier this year she was awarded the 2021 Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society – a prestigious honour with previous recipients including Albert Einstein, Edwin Hubble, Arthur Eddington and Stephen Hawking.

Ahead of the event on 24^th March, Dame Jocelyn said: “I am grateful to the University of Bedfordshire for this opportunity to be part of their new Public Lecture series – and to show everyone that we are all made of star stuff!”

Although the ‘An Evening With…’ event series is brand new, Dame Jocelyn’s public lecture is the latest in a long line of successful STEM events hosted by the University in recent years. Presented by leading scientists, past STEM events have featured Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, Professor Paul Nurse and Lord Sir Robert Winston – who officially opened Bedfordshire’s 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:

“This month’s 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’s Perseverance mission on Mars.

“The University’s 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.

“Irrespective of attendees’ age or prior astrophysical knowledge, I’m confident the audience will enjoy a fantastic presentation that will cater to engage beginners, curious thinkers, budding scientists and experienced star-gazers alike.”

Being free to attend and easy to join remotely, this new public lecture demonstrates the University’s 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 University online: www.beds.ac.uk

For information about other events coming up at the University of Bedfordshire, visit: www.beds.ac.uk/news