Jen Gupta

{{short description|British astrophysicist}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Jen Gupta

| image = Jen Gupta 1.jpg

| birth_name = Jennifer Ann Gupta

| alma_mater = University of Manchester

| organization = University of Portsmouth

| known_for = {{Plainlist|

}}

| website = {{Official URL}}

}}

Jennifer Ann Gupta, known as Jen, is an astrophysicist and science communicator based at the University of Portsmouth. She has presented on Tomorrow's World on the BBC.

Education

Gupta grew up in Winchester and completed her A-Levels at Peters Symonds Sixth Form College.{{Cite news|url=https://jengupta.com/about-me/|title=About Me|date=2014-08-29|work=Dr Jen Gupta|access-date=2018-02-13|language=en-US}} She completed her master's degree at the University of Manchester, before beginning a PhD at the university's Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics.{{Cite news|url=http://www.sepnet.ac.uk/about-sepnet/outreach-officers/|title=Outreach Officers - SEPnet|work=SEPnet|access-date=2018-02-13|language=en-GB}} She earned her PhD "Multiwavelength Studies of Radio-loud Active Galactic Nuclei in the Fermi Era" in 2012.{{Cite web|url=https://www.escholar.manchester.ac.uk/jrul/item/?pid=uk-ac-man-scw:170139|title=Multiwavelength Studies of Radio-loud Active Galactic Nuclei in the Fermi Era|last=Ann|first=Gupta, Jennifer|date=2012-09-17|website=www.escholar.manchester.ac.uk|language=en|access-date=2018-02-13|archive-date=24 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724013130/https://www.escholar.manchester.ac.uk/jrul/item/?pid=uk-ac-man-scw:170139|url-status=dead}}

Career

File:Jen Gupta 7.jpg on The Jodcast]]

Gupta began science communication during her PhD, taking a major role in The Jodcast{{Cite web|url=http://www.jodcast.net/archive/ |title=Jodcast archive |website=jodcast.net|language=en-GB|access-date=2018-02-20}} and performing astronomy-inspired stand-up comedy on stage at Bright Club, in Manchester{{Cite web|url=https://www.manchesterbeacon.org/events/view/171/Bright-Club-Manchester-4---Family|title=Bright Club Manchester 4 - Family|website=Manchester Beacon|language=en-GB|access-date=2018-02-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180220212230/https://www.manchesterbeacon.org/events/view/171/Bright-Club-Manchester-4---Family|archive-date=2018-02-20|url-status=dead}} and at London's Bloomsbury Theatre.{{Citation|last=Jennifer Gupta|title=Bright Club Stars: Jen Gupta|date=2011-11-22|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNZL-tRfS7A|accessdate=2018-02-13}} That year she completed a daylong road trip to see the seven MERLIN telescopes in a day.{{Citation|last=jodcast|title=The e-MERLIN Roadtrip|date=2011-11-10|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBErgbWwj70|accessdate=2018-02-13}} Gupta is involved with the training of UK-based physics teachers.{{Cite news|url=http://www.thetrainingpartnership.org.uk/study-day/physics-in-action-16/|title=Physics in Action - The Training Partnership|work=The Training Partnership|access-date=2018-02-13|language=en-US|archive-date=14 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180214215722/http://www.thetrainingpartnership.org.uk/study-day/physics-in-action-16/|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.ogdentrust.com/university-outreach/science-officers/994-dr-jen-gupta|title=Ogden Science Officers|website=www.ogdentrust.com|language=en|access-date=2018-02-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180214073656/http://www.ogdentrust.com/university-outreach/science-officers/994-dr-jen-gupta|archive-date=2018-02-14|url-status=dead}} She has the co-hosted a number of episodes of the BBC's Tomorrow's World.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/e54wxj/live/cghp5v|title=Tomorrow's World: Me and My Robot|website=BBC|language=en-GB|access-date=2018-02-20}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05dmgmj|title=Tomorrow's World Live - Move to Mars|website=BBC|language=en-GB|access-date=2018-02-20}}

In 2016 she featured in a series of portraits commissioned by the Royal Astronomical Society celebrating leading women in astronomy.{{Cite web|url=http://uopnews.port.ac.uk/2016/02/02/portsmouth-astrophysicist-features-in-leading-women-portraits/|title=Portsmouth astrophysicist features in leading women portraits {{!}} UoP News|website=uopnews.port.ac.uk|language=en-US|access-date=2018-02-13|archive-date=14 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190414000602/https://uopnews.port.ac.uk/2016/02/02/portsmouth-astrophysicist-features-in-leading-women-portraits/|url-status=dead}} That year, she gave an invited talk at the Royal Institution "The invisible night sky".{{Cite news|url=http://www.rigb.org/whats-on/events-2016/april/public-the-invisible-night-sky|title=The invisible night sky|access-date=2018-02-13|language=en|archive-date=14 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190414000600/https://www.rigb.org/whats-on/events-2016/april/public-the-invisible-night-sky|url-status=dead}} She delivers regular talks at astronomical societies around the South East of England.{{Cite web|url=http://www.andoverastronomy.org.uk/|title=Andover Astronomical Society|website=www.andoverastronomy.org.uk|access-date=2018-02-13}}{{Cite news|url=https://jengupta.com/public-talks-and-events/events/|title=Events|date=2014-10-02|work=Dr Jen Gupta|access-date=2018-02-13|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=https://cafescientifique.onthewight.com/dr-jennifer-gupta-radio-astronomy-quasars-and-black-holes/|title=Dr Jennifer Gupta: Radio Astronomy, Quasars and Black Holes|date=2015-09-24|work=Isle of Wight Cafe Scientifique|access-date=2018-02-13|language=en-US}} In 2015 she hosted Stargazing Live from the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.{{Cite web|url=https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/stargazing-live-2015-at-portsmouth-historic-dockyard-tickets-15895293250?aff=jg#|title=Stargazing Live 2015 at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard|website=Eventbrite|language=en-GB|access-date=2018-02-13}}

Alongside public talks about astronomy, Gupta is interested in science comedy.{{Cite web|url=https://www.tickettext.co.uk/aeoud/an-evening-of-unnecessary-detail-29032016/|title=An Evening Of Unnecessary Detail at Backyard Comedy Club|website=www.tickettext.co.uk|language=en|access-date=2018-02-13}} That year she hosted BAHFest, a celebration of well-argued but incorrect scientific theory.{{Cite web|url=https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/bahfest-london-tickets-20068251681#|title=BAHFest London|website=Eventbrite|language=en-GB|access-date=2018-02-13}}{{Citation|last=BAHFest|title=BAHFest London - Big Science - Jen Gupta: Fixing the World|date=2016-05-17|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqK6mAJqSSQ|accessdate=2018-02-13}} Gupta is the founder and co-host of the Astronomy podcast Seldom Sirius.{{Cite web|url=http://seldomsirius.net/|title=Seldom Sirius Podcast|website=seldomsirius.net|access-date=2018-02-13}}

In 2011 she won I'm a Scientist, Get me out of here!{{Cite news|url=https://about.imascientist.org.uk/2017/what-jennifer-gupta-did-with-her-prize-money/|title=What Jennifer Gupta did with her prize money… - About I'm a Scientist, Get me out of here|date=2017-01-25|work=About I'm a Scientist, Get me out of here|access-date=2018-02-13|language=en-US}} Gupta joined the Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation at the University of Portsmouth in 2012. She is responsible for outreach, public engagement and evaluation.{{Cite web|url=http://www.icg.port.ac.uk/author/guptaj/|title=Jen Gupta|website=www.icg.port.ac.uk|language=en-US|access-date=2018-02-13}} Gupta typically works with 10,000 school children and members of the public each year.{{Cite news|url=https://astrotweeps.wordpress.com/2016/07/04/introducing-jen-gupta/|title=Introducing Jen Gupta|date=2016-07-04|work=astrotweeps|access-date=2018-02-13|language=en-US}}

References

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