“We chart our paths by looking for opportunities, making choices amongst those available, and getting up each morning to take our next step. Most important is living what you love. Life is too short to accept anything less!” – Professor Belinda J Wilkes
Here at the Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution we are honoured to have Professor Belinda Wilkes come and speak to us about the NASA Chandra X-Ray Observatory, of which she was Director from 2014 to 2020.
Wilkes’ specialties lie within extragalactic astronomy, and in Quasars and other active black holes. With a BSc (hons) from St Andrews in Astronomy and Physics, as well as a PHD in Astronomy from the University of Cambridge, and over 165 scientific and academic papers published, Belinda is arguably one of the most intellectual and qualified minds within astrophysics.
Belinda worked and studied at The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, Massachusetts for 38 years. She was the first ever female director of a NASA great observatory. Wilkes describes her leadership style as holistic and wellbeing centered, both collaborative and supportive. Promoting a healthy work environment whilst ‘maximising the Observatory’s science output.’
Get the chance to question her this Friday evening.
