World-renowned astrophysicist Jocelyn Bell Burnell to speak at Coe Contemporary Issues Forum
Contemporary Issues Forum
Following the discovery of the first radio pulsar in 1967, Dr. Jocelyn Bell Burnell was credited with one of the most significant scientific achievements of the 20th century. Bell Burnell will speak at the 16th annual Coe College Contemporary Issues Forum at 7:30 PM Jan. 29 in Sinclair Auditorium on the Coe College campus.
Bell Burnell has been breaking barriers in physics throughout her life. She developed an interest in astronomy when it was unconventional for a woman to study science. At the age of 24 as a graduate student at the University of Cambridge, Bell Burnell detected an anomaly in her radio telescope data — pulsars. This discovery led to the controversial receipt of the Nobel Prize by just her thesis supervisor Dr. Anthony Hewish and colleague Dr. Martin Ryle, without a share for Bell Burnell.
A pulsar is a tiny, rapidly spinning remnant of a more massive star. Pulsars, also known as neutron stars, are used as precise timers, aid in the research and location of gravitational waves and are often regarded as the universe’s gift to physics.
In 2018 Bell Burnell was awarded a $3 million Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics — one of the most prestigious awards in the physics community. “Professor Bell Burnell thoroughly deserves this recognition. Her curiosity, diligent observations and rigorous analysis revealed some of the most interesting and mysterious objects in the Universe,” Yuri Milner, one of the founders of the Breakthrough Prize, said. Bell Burnell donated her entire award to a charity in the United Kingdom whose mission is to support physics graduate students from underrepresented groups.
Over the course of 50 years, Bell Burnell has held multiple leadership positions in the physics community including President of the Royal Astronomical Society, first female President of the Institute of Physics and the Royal Society of Edinburgh. She is currently a visiting professor of astrophysics at the University of Oxford and chancellor of the University of Dundee. Bell Burnell was appointed Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1999 and promoted to Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 2007.
The Coe College Contemporary Issues Forum is open to the public. Tickets may be purchased online at coe.edu/box-office or by phone at 319.399.8600. Ticket prices are $10 for adults and $5 for non-Coe students and seniors.
Established by the late K. Raymond Clark '30, the Contemporary Issues Forum presents the views of distinguished leaders whose work has shaped and altered the course of world events. The forum has featured former U.S. President George H.W. Bush, former Polish President Lech Walesa, deep-sea oceanographer Robert Ballard, civil rights activist Myrlie Evers-Williams, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, "Doonesbury" cartoonist Garry Trudeau, ecology expert Jared Diamond, documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Leonard Pitts, celebrated author Sir Salman Rushdie, former Senate Majority Leader and Special Envoy George Mitchell, Pulitzer Prize-winning global health expert Laurie Garrett, legendary soccer player Abby Wambach, leading commentator on race Jelani Cobb and environmentalists and social entrepreneurs Yvon Chouinard and Craig Mathews.
Coe values its location and relationship with the Cedar Rapids community and looks forward to providing insightful contemporary forum issues. Established in 1851, Coe has a national reputation for academic excellence enhanced by a student-centered, highly supportive campus environment. Our success in offering superb academics and exciting co-curricular activities stems in large part from our location in a thriving urban setting that promotes student growth and success. As such, we welcome the community to participate in this event.