Haley Gomez
{{short description|Welsh Professor of Astrophysics}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox scientist
| name = Haley Gomez
| workplaces = Cardiff University
| alma_mater = Cardiff University
| thesis_title = Origin and evolution of dust
| thesis_url = http://orca.cf.ac.uk/54541/
| thesis_year = 2004
| doctoral_advisor = Mike Edmunds
Steve Eales
| known_for = Cosmic dust
| awards = MBE 2018
}}
Haley Gomez (née Morgan) (born 1979) MBE, FRAS, FLSW is a Welsh Professor of Astrophysics at Cardiff University. She studies the formation and evolution of cosmic dust using the Herschel Space Observatory. She is Head of the School of Physics and Astronomy. She was awarded an Order of the British Empire in the 2018 Queen’s Birthday Honour’s.
Early life and education
Gomez was born in Barry and educated in a state school.{{Cite web|url=http://www.100welshwomen.wales/100-women/haley_gomez/|title=Haley Gomez – 100WelshWomen|website=www.100welshwomen.wales|access-date=2018-06-09}} She earned an undergraduate degree at Cardiff University in 2001. She was the first in her family to go to university and was inspired by Vera Rubin.{{Cite news|url=https://issuu.com/chelseamagazines/docs/gug-_isp16/48|title=The Good Universities Guide|work=Issuu|access-date=2018-06-09}} She stayed at Cardiff University for her postgraduate study, where she completed a PhD with Mike Edmunds and Steve Eales.{{Cite news|url=https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/people/view/116892-gomez-haley|title=Professor Haley Gomez - People - Cardiff University|work=Cardiff University|access-date=2018-06-09}} Her PhD thesis "The Origin and Evolution of Dust", explored the origins of smoke-sized particles in space.{{Cite web|url=https://orca.cf.ac.uk/54541/1/U584680.pdf|title=The Origin and Evolution of Dust|last=Morgan|first=Haley|access-date=2018-06-09|archive-date=2 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181102110622/http://orca.cf.ac.uk/54541/1/U584680.pdf|url-status=dead}} She graduated in 2004 and was awarded the Royal Astronomical Society prize for the best UK doctoral thesis.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ras.org.uk/education-and-careers/competitions/1687-thesis-winners|title=Thesis Winners|last=Webmaster|website=www.ras.org.uk|access-date=2018-06-09}}
Research and career
Gomez was awarded a Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 Fellowship which allowed her to remain at Cardiff University. She presented her research to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh at Buckingham Palace. She identified that supernovae could be factories of cosmic dust by using the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope to study cold dust grains.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ras.org.uk/awards-and-grants/awards/1141-haley-gomez|title=Haley Gomez|last=Elliott|first=David|website=www.ras.org.uk|access-date=2018-06-09}} She was appointed as a lecturer in 2013, a senior lecturer in 2014 and a Professor in 2015.{{Cite web|url=https://cosmoquest.org/x/365daysofastronomy/author/edwardhaleygomez/|title=Edward and Haley Gomez|website=365 Days of Astronomy|access-date=2018-06-09}} Her research considers how cosmic dust grains form in elliptical galaxies. She has used the Akari satellite to survey the sky in the mid-infrared and identify the building blocks of life.{{Cite web|url=http://europeanastrofest.com/smoking-supernovae-as-cosmic-dust-factories/|title=Smoking Supernovae as Cosmic Dust Factories|website=European AstroFest 2018|access-date=2018-06-09}} Gomez continued to use the data from the Herschel Space Observatory long after it stopped operating in 2013.{{Cite news|url=https://www.universetoday.com/129667/stars-universes-neat-freaks/|title=Stars Are The Universe's Neat Freaks - Universe Today|date=2016-07-04|work=Universe Today|access-date=2018-06-09}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.h-atlas.org/lisbon/|title=The Cosmic FIR Landscape|website=www.h-atlas.org|access-date=2018-06-09}}
As Head of Public Engagement in the School of Physics at Cardiff University, Gomez coordinates the outreach activities for schools, teachers and the public. With the National Assembly for Wales Science Academy, Gomez ran Universe in a Classroom{{Cite web|url=http://blogs.cardiff.ac.uk/physicsoutreach/universe-in-the-classroom/|title=Universe in the Classroom – Physics and Astronomy outreach - Cardiff University|website=blogs.cardiff.ac.uk|date=24 January 2014 |access-date=2018-06-09}} Universe in a Classroom hopes to reach 60,000 children over ten years, and has already trained teachers from 130 Welsh primary schools. They have a small robotic telescope, education resources and learning based activities. until its end in 2018. She has partnered with the European Inspiring Science Education which provides schools and teachers simulations and data analysis tools to learn physics.{{Cite web|url=http://blogs.cardiff.ac.uk/physicsoutreach/inspiring-science-education/|title=Inspiring Science Education – Physics and Astronomy outreach - Cardiff University|website=blogs.cardiff.ac.uk|date=23 January 2014 |access-date=2018-06-09}} She gives regular public lectures and has been featured at the Royal Albert Hall and National Museum of Wales, as well as in the Sky at Night Magazine and Astronomy Now.{{Cite web|url=http://haley.gomez.me.uk/outreach/|title=Outreach · Haley Gomez|website=haley.gomez.me.uk|access-date=2018-06-09}} She has worked with Sense about Science and appeared on science podcasts.{{Cite web|url=https://findingada.com/blog/2016/10/31/ep-6-haley-gomez-karen-masters/|title=Ep 6: Prof Haley Gomez & Dr Karen Masters – Ada Lovelace Day|website=findingada.com|access-date=2018-06-09}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.jodcast.net/archive/video/nam2011/|title=A day in the life: Conference - show notes|website=www.jodcast.net|access-date=2018-06-09}}{{Cite journal|last=Gomez|first=Haley|date=October 2006|title=Find your own voice|journal=Astronomy and Geophysics|volume=47|issue=5|pages=5.25–5.26|doi=10.1111/j.1468-4004.2006.47525.x|issn=1366-8781|bibcode=2006A&G....47e..25G|doi-access=free}} She is on the committee of WISE Campaign Wales.{{Cite web|url=http://www.100welshwomen.wales/100-women/hayley_gomez/|title=Hayley Gomez – 100WelshWomen|website=www.100welshwomen.wales|access-date=2018-06-09}} She was a speaker at the 2015 TED
She was elected a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales in 2017.{{Cite news|url=https://www.learnedsociety.wales/fellow/haley-gomez/|title=Haley Gomez {{!}} The Learned Society of Wales|last=Wales|first=The Learned Society of|work=The Learned Society of Wales|access-date=2018-06-09}}
= Awards and honours =
- 2018 MBE
- 2015 Royal Astronomical Society Fowler Prize{{Cite web|url=https://www.ras.org.uk/awards-and-grants/awards/2553-winners-of-the-2015-awards-medals-and-prizes|title=Winners of the 2015 awards, medals and prizes - full details|last=Smith|first=Keith|website=www.ras.org.uk|access-date=2018-06-09}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local-news/cardiff-university-astronomers-honoured-helping-8415582|title=Astronomers from @cardiffPHYSX honoured for their contribution to astrophysics|last=Evans|first=Gareth|date=2015-01-09|work=walesonline|access-date=2018-06-09}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-30735071|title=Cardiff uni astronomers honoured|date=2015|work=BBC News|access-date=2018-06-09}}
- 2015 European Research Council Laureate{{Cite web|url=http://haley.gomez.me.uk/cosmic-dust/|title=ERC Research Project · Haley Gomez|website=haley.gomez.me.uk|access-date=2018-06-09}}
- 2014 Inspire Wales Award, Science and Technology Category{{Cite web|url=http://www.astro.cardiff.ac.uk/newsandevents/?page=news_detail&news=0163|title=News|website=www.astro.cardiff.ac.uk|access-date=2018-06-09}}
- 2005 Research fellowship from Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851
- 2005 Royal Astronomical Society Michael Penston prize for best UK thesis in Astronomy and Astrophysics
References
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Category:Alumni of Cardiff University
Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire
Category:21st-century British astronomers
Category:British women astronomers
Category:Academics of Cardiff University
Category:British women physicists