LJMU researcher elected to Council of Royal Astronomical Society

Post-doctoral researcher and Ogden Trust Outreach Officer at LJMU's Astrophysics Research Institute, Stacey Habergham, has been elected to the Council of the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS).

Stacey was one of 18 people standing for four Council places and she will serve a term of three years on Council.

The aims of the RAS are to encourage and promote the study of astronomy, solar-system science and geophysics. This is achieved by publishing research in its journals, organising scientific meetings, awarding medals, prizes and grants, supporting education through grants and outreach activities and representing UK astronomy nationally and internationally by responding to government and other consultations.

Stacey studied undergraduate and postgraduate Physics and Astronomy at LJMU obtaining her PhD in Astrophysics in 2013. As part of her election manifesto she said:

"As the first generation in my family to attend university I have a passion for outreach and science education, in the hope I can engage more young people, in a similar position to myself, to continue with physics and astronomy and not be discouraged by the expectations placed upon them by society. I believe that the RAS has an important role to play in providing outreach, particularly to groups currently underrepresented in the world of academia."

In addition to working alongside other councillors to support the RAS in all its work, Stacey’s experiences of the challenges currently facing early career researchers will give invaluable insight on this particular matter. Her passion for and experience in outreach will be especially useful as the RAS continues to expand its work in this direction with the recent launch of its 200 year celebration outreach legacy project.

Clare Coombes, Press and Publications Officer, Liverpool John Moores University, T: 0151 231 3004 press@ljmu.ac.uk 

Founded in 1825, LJMU is a modern civic university delivering impactful research and scholarship that form the foundation for its interaction with industry, business and the community. Ranked in the top 100 new universities in the world, the University has around 24,000 students, recruited from over 100 countries, who are enrolled on a wide range of undergraduate, postgraduate taught and research degrees as well as continuing professional development programmes. LJMU is one of the UK’s leading research active contemporary universities, with world-leading and internationally recognised research taking place across the institution. It also continues to be one of the UK’s leading higher education institutions for its interaction with business and the community. This interaction informs both teaching and research at the University and impacts positively on graduate employability, with 92% of graduates being in work or further study within six months of leaving the University.