Maggie Aderin-Pocock

Born on 9 March 1968 in London to Nigerian parents, Maggie Aderin-Pocock is a space scientist and science communicator. With a BSc in physics and a PhD in mechanical engineering from Imperial College London, she has worked in both industry and academia and on such projects as NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, the European Space Agency’s satellite ADM-Aeolus, and the Gemini Observatory in Chile. Since 2006 she has served as a research fellow in University College London’s Department of Science and Technology Studies, and she is an honorary research associate in its Department of Physics and Astronomy. Aderin-Pocock has also appeared on television in several BBC documentaries and as a copresenter of the long-running program The Sky at Night. To help further her public outreach efforts, she founded a company called Science Innovation Ltd, through which she introduces children and adults to space science with “Tours of the Universe” and other activities. During her numerous public speaking engagements, she has used her personal struggles with dyslexia and her experiences as a black woman in a traditionally white, male-dominated field to encourage children to pursue their dreams. For her services to science education, Aderin-Pocock was honored in 2009 as a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.

Date in History: 9 March 1968