RAS lists Leicester professor as one to watch

Professor Emma Bunce (pictured) from the Department of Physics and Astronomy has been listed as one of 21 female fellows to watch in the 21^st century by the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS).

Exactly 100 years on from the very first female fellows of the RAS, our Professor of Planetary Plasma Physics has been recognised for her work on outer planet magnetospheres and aurora. Her work has contributed to our understanding of the processes which produce Jupiter’s and Saturn’s dynamic auroras in their upper atmospheres. This work has earned her science investigator roles on current and future space missions, including Cassini-Hugyens, BepiColombo and JUICE (Jupiter Icy moons Explorer).

Professor Bunce, who has been lecturing at Leicester since 2005, was promoted to Reader in 2009 and subsequently promoted to Professor in 2013. To date, she has published 90 papers in scientific literature with her work receiving both national and international recognition, including being awarded the prestigious Philip Leverhulme Prize in 2011.

On receiving the accolade, Professor Bunce said: “It is wonderful to have been honoured by the Royal Astronomical Society, and it is great that they have chosen to celebrate 100 years of women fellows in the Society in this way. All I can say is that they must have had a difficult task choosing their shortlist as there are many outstanding female scientists in the Society today.’’

Professor Bunce recently took on the role of PI on the ESA/JAXA BepiColombo MIXS instrument, and is a Co-Investigator on the NASA Cassini magnetometer team. She is also the Deputy PI on the JUICE magnetometer and is a Co-Invesigator on the JUICE UVS instrument.

• 100 years and counting: women in the RAS go from strength to strength
• 21 women, representing the rich diversity of female fellows in the society