Public Engagement

Public engagement has been a central part of my work in astronomy and astrophysics. I enjoy building activities that make abstract ideas feel tangible, whether that means reading the chemical fingerprints of stars, turning a planetarium into a shared classroom, or helping visitors look through a telescope for the first time.

My outreach work has mostly grown from the Jeremiah Horrocks Institute and the UCLan/Ri Young Scientist Centre, but it has taken place in museums, observatories, schools, festivals, parliament, and community events. Across those settings, I try to make space science feel welcoming, hands-on, and connected to people’s own curiosity.

Outreach and Engagement

Teen Tech: Lancashire

In 2023, I developed and facilitated a bespoke Jeremiah Horrocks Institute activity for Teen Tech: Lancashire at UCLan. The activity explored the “Cosmic Fingerprints” of elements in the spectra of celestial objects, giving students a way to connect atomic physics with the information we collect from stars and galaxies.

Virtual Planetarium Shows

During 2020 and 2021, I helped deliver virtual planetarium shows for Guide groups working towards the Brownies Space badge developed alongside the Royal Astronomical Society. As part of a four-person JHI team lead by Dr Megan Argo BEM, we delivered 60 shows and reached over 1400 girl guides.

Museum of the Moon

In 2019, I supported the Harris Museum’s Museum of the Moon exhibition, a touring art installation by Luke Jerram. The Jeremiah Horrocks Institute contributed an extended exhibition on the NASA Apollo missions and provided guided walking tours. I developed presenter notes and delivered many of those tours.

Young Scientist Centre

From 2016 to 2024, I worked with the UCLan/Ri Young Scientist Centre as an engagement ambassador and workshop facilitator. I supported high-school workshops including 3D Futures, Mission Mars, Life on Mars, Solar System, and Cosmetic Chemistry, and I also consulted on the development of new physics workshops.

I have also taken part in the Young Scientist Centre Science Demo Competition, winning in both 2016 and 2023. A video from the 2016 competition is available on my media page.

Alston Observatory

From 2015 to 2024, I supported public and community observing evenings and visits at Alston Observatory. This included tours of the observatory sites, talks on astronomy, and the development of bespoke planetarium talks and activities.

Local History of Astronomy

I have also worked on the local history of astronomy in Preston and Lancashire, inspired by the Jeremiah Horrocks Institute and by my Moses Holden studentship, awarded by the University of Central Lancashire. This work connects present-day public astronomy with a much longer regional tradition of observation, teaching, and the enhancement of public scientific knowledge culture.

One figure who has been especially important to that story is Moses Holden, a self-taught astronomer and educator whose legacy continues through the Moses Holden Telescope and the studentships that bear his name.

Science Festivals and Accessible Astronomy

From 2015 to 2024, I helped develop and exhibit the Jeremiah Horrocks Institute stand at Lancashire Science Festival, a public event that attracts more than 5,000 visitors annually. In 2016, I also developed and delivered an exoplanets activity for Cyprus Science Festival at UCLan Cyprus, supporting physics activities for audiences across multiple nationalities and ability levels.

I have also worked on accessible engagement. For Touching Space with UCLan Physics Society in 2016, I developed an astrophysical audio activity and presented at an event designed for people with visual impairments.

Before university, I represented Oldham Sixth Form College as a Physics Ambassador at public events and open evenings.