Bobbie Vaile
Encyclopedia
Dr Roberta Anne 'Bobbie' Vaile (25 June 1959 - 13 November 1996) was an Australia
n astrophysicist and senior lecturer
in physics
at the Faculty of Business and Technology at the University of Western Sydney, Macarthur. She was involved with Project Phoenix
(a SETI
experiment) and influential in the establishment of the SETI Australia Centre, created at the university in 1995. She died following a seven year battle with an inoperable brain tumour.
Bobbie was born in Junee, New South Wales
. She attended the University of Newcastle
, where she received her B.Sc. She earned her Ph.D.
at the University of New South Wales
with a thesis
entitled "The Corona Australis
Complex" in 1989.
Bobbie was awarded the Australian Science Communicators' "Unsung Hero of Australian Science" award in 1995 for her work in developing easy and friendly methods of teaching science.
Other published papers include:
- Seth Shostak
, Ron Ekers, Roberta Vaile, 1996. A Search for Artificial Signals from the Small Magellanic Cloud The Astronomical Journal
112, 164-166.
A memorial garden at the University of Western Sydney was dedicated to Bobbie in 1999, and there is a park/reserve (map) in Camden, NSW
named after her. A minor planet
, 6708 Bobbievaile
, was also named after her (Wikipedia reference
).
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n astrophysicist and senior lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer is an academic rank. In the United Kingdom, lecturer is a position at a university or similar institution, often held by academics in their early career stages, who lead research groups and supervise research students, as well as teach...
in physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
at the Faculty of Business and Technology at the University of Western Sydney, Macarthur. She was involved with Project Phoenix
Project Phoenix
Project Phoenix may refer to:* Project Phoenix , a search for extraterrestrial intelligence by listening for radio signals* Project Phoenix , South African National Defence Force programme to revive its Reserve Force element...
(a SETI
SETI
The search for extraterrestrial intelligence is the collective name for a number of activities people undertake to search for intelligent extraterrestrial life. Some of the most well known projects are run by the SETI Institute. SETI projects use scientific methods to search for intelligent life...
experiment) and influential in the establishment of the SETI Australia Centre, created at the university in 1995. She died following a seven year battle with an inoperable brain tumour.
Bobbie was born in Junee, New South Wales
Junee, New South Wales
Junee is a medium sized town in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. The town's prosperity and mixed services economy is based on a combination of agriculture, rail transport, light industry and government services, and in particular correctional services...
. She attended the University of Newcastle
University of Newcastle, Australia
The University of Newcastle is an Australian public university that was established in 1965. The University's main and largest campus is located in Callaghan, a suburb of Newcastle in New South Wales...
, where she received her B.Sc. She earned her Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
at the University of New South Wales
University of New South Wales
The University of New South Wales , is a research-focused university based in Kensington, a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
with a thesis
Thesis
A dissertation or thesis is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings...
entitled "The Corona Australis
Corona Australis
Corona Australis or Corona Austrina is a constellation. Its name means "southern crown", and it contrasts with Corona Borealis, the northern crown...
Complex" in 1989.
Bobbie was awarded the Australian Science Communicators' "Unsung Hero of Australian Science" award in 1995 for her work in developing easy and friendly methods of teaching science.
Other published papers include:
- Seth Shostak
Seth Shostak
Seth Shostak is an American astronomer. He grew up in Arlington, VA and earned his physics degree from Princeton University and a Ph.D...
, Ron Ekers, Roberta Vaile, 1996. A Search for Artificial Signals from the Small Magellanic Cloud The Astronomical Journal
Astronomical Journal
The Astronomical Journal is a peer-reviewed monthly scientific journal owned by the American Astronomical Society and currently published by Institute of Physics Publishing. It is one of the premier journals for astronomy in the world...
112, 164-166.
A memorial garden at the University of Western Sydney was dedicated to Bobbie in 1999, and there is a park/reserve (map) in Camden, NSW
Camden, New South Wales
-Education:Camden is the location of research facilities for the veterinary and agricultural schools of the University of Sydney. The local government area has two public high schools, Camden High School and Elderslie High School, as well as eight Catholic and three Anglican schools.-Culture:The...
named after her. A minor planet
Minor planet
An asteroid group or minor-planet group is a population of minor planets that have a share broadly similar orbits. Members are generally unrelated to each other, unlike in an asteroid family, which often results from the break-up of a single asteroid...
, 6708 Bobbievaile
6708 Bobbievaile
6708 Bobbievaile is a main-belt asteroid discovered on 4 January 1989 by McNaught, R. H. at Siding Spring Observatory. It is named after Dr Roberta Anne 'Bobbie' Vaile and has an orbital period of 3.82 years....
, was also named after her (Wikipedia reference
Meanings of asteroid names (6501-7000)
Minor planets not yet given a name have not been included in this list....
).
External links
- http://camdencouncil.sitesuite.ws/files/DAP_-_Strategies.pdf - Bobbie Vaile Reserve
- http://lnfm1.sai.msu.ru/SETI/koi/bulletin/3/ref3.html - Bioastronomy News, Fall 1993, Vol 4
- http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/biogs/P002633b.htm - Bright Sparcs biography
- http://publish.seti.org/litu/pubs/journal_details.php?last_name=O - SETI articles listing
- http://seti.uws.edu.au/ - SETI Australia Centre
- http://seti.uws.edu.au/Bobbie.htm - SETI Australia Centre - Bobbie Vaile Page
- http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/womenastro/womenastro-uw.html#V - Women in Astronomy reference
- http://users.tpg.com.au/users/tps-seti/index.html - Planetary Society, Australian Volunteers Page
- http://www.astrosociology.com/Library/PDF/Positive%20Consequences%20of%20SETI%20Before%20Detection.pdf - Positive Consequences of SETI Before Detection paper
- http://www.pascalpress.com.au/product-p/1864410191.htm - QUICKSMART - Introductory Physics
- http://www.asc.asn.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=53&Itemid=53&date=2000-11-01 - ASC Unsung Hero Bobbie Vaile page
- http://www.seti.org/site/pp.asp?c=ktJ2J9MMIsE&b=179131 - SETI News article
- http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1989PhDT........27V - Smithsonian/NASA ADS abstract of "The Corona Australis Complex" paper