Penny Sackett
Encyclopedia
Penny Diane Sackett is an American-born Australia
n astronomer
and former director of the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics (RSAA) at the Australian National University
(ANU). Professor Sackett was the Chief Scientist of Australia
from November 2008 until March 2011.
—the daughter of an accountant and a business machine technician— Sackett spent her childhood in Omaha
. Sackett was interested in science from a very young age, and her original inclination was towards biology and medicine. While initially unenthusiastic about physics, she developed a passion for the discipline through her high school physics teacher.
Her undergraduate study was at University of Nebraska at Omaha
, graduating summa cum laude in 1978. In 1984, she completed her Ph.D.
in theoretical physics
at the University of Pittsburgh
with her thesis titled Scale Parameters for Finite Temperature Actions of Lattice Gauge Theories Coupled to Fermions.
and in program administration for the National Science Foundation
. She has previously held positions at Kapteyn Astronomical Institute
and the Institute for Advanced Study
.
From 2002, Sackett was the director of the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics (a part of ANU
) for five years until standing down to concentrate on mentoring and research. In her role as director, Sackett was responsible for the management of Mount Stromlo Observatory
in Canberra
and Siding Spring Observatory
in Coonabarabran, New South Wales
. As director of the Mount Stromlo observatory, she was responsible for its reconstruction after the 2003 Canberra bushfires
. The reconstruction work proved difficult due to disagreements with the insurers and was further complicated by the heritage status of the observatory requiring the Australian Heritage Commission
to approve all works.
In September 2008, Sackett was appointed the Chief Scientist of Australia
; taking over duties in November 2008. Announcing her appointment, the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research
, Senator
Kim Carr
said Sackett is "an accomplished cross-disciplinary scientist with a record of academic excellence on three continents ... highly respected in the national and international communities of science and technology, both for her research and her proven experience in research management." After commencing her work at the Office of the Chief Scientist, she remained an adjunct professor at the ANU and continue to supervise research students. Sackett was the first full-time Chief Scientist since the role was downgraded to a part-time position in 1996. She announced that she would leave the post in a letter to fellow scientists on 18 February 2011, citing professional and personal reasons,.
s—Sackett was an innovative user of gravitational microlensing
to search for extrasolar planets—dark matter
and galactic structure. In 2006, Sackett was one of a team of 73 astronomers from 31 institutions in 12 countries that discovered OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb
, a small, cool planet orbiting a star in the inner Milky Way
.
Sackett is an Elected International Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society
and a board member of the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy
. She is a member of the Astronomical Society of Australia
, the American Astronomical Society
, the International Astronomical Union
and the Association for Women in Science
. She is a member of the board of directors of the Giant Magellan Telescope
project. In 1995, Sackett and Kailash Sahu founded the Probing Lensing Anomalies Network
(PLANET) collaboration. Sackett is one of seven women chosen by the Office of the Status of Women to act as an ambassador to promote science to secondary school students.
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 astronomer
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
and former director of the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics (RSAA) at the Australian National University
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
(ANU). Professor Sackett was the Chief Scientist of Australia
Office of the Chief Scientist (Australia)
The Office of the Chief Scientist is part of Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research . Its primary responsibilities are to support the Chief Scientist and the Prime Minister's Science, Engineering and Innovation Council .-Chief Scientist:The Chief Scientist is responsible for...
from November 2008 until March 2011.
Early life and studies
Born in Lincoln, NebraskaLincoln, Nebraska
The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....
—the daughter of an accountant and a business machine technician— Sackett spent her childhood in Omaha
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
. Sackett was interested in science from a very young age, and her original inclination was towards biology and medicine. While initially unenthusiastic about physics, she developed a passion for the discipline through her high school physics teacher.
Her undergraduate study was at University of Nebraska at Omaha
University of Nebraska at Omaha
The University of Nebraska at Omaha is a four-year state university located in Omaha, Nebraska, USA. Founded in 1908 as Omaha University, the institution became the public Municipal University of Omaha in 1931. It assumed its current name in 1968 following a merger into the University...
, graduating summa cum laude in 1978. In 1984, she completed her Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in theoretical physics
Theoretical physics
Theoretical physics is a branch of physics which employs mathematical models and abstractions of physics to rationalize, explain and predict natural phenomena...
at the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
with her thesis titled Scale Parameters for Finite Temperature Actions of Lattice Gauge Theories Coupled to Fermions.
Scientific career
Sackett worked for a time as a reporter for Science NewsScience News
Science News is an American bi-weekly magazine devoted to short articles about new scientific and technical developments, typically gleaned from recent scientific and technical journals. Science News has been published since 1922 by Society for Science & the Public, a non-profit organization...
and in program administration for the National Science Foundation
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
. She has previously held positions at Kapteyn Astronomical Institute
Kapteyn Astronomical Institute
The Kapteyn Astronomical Institute is the department of astronomy of the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.The institute is named after its founder, Jacobus Cornelius Kapteyn, who lived from 1851 to 1922. Jacobus Kapteyn was appointed professor of astronomy and theoretical mechanics in...
and the Institute for Advanced Study
Institute for Advanced Study
The Institute for Advanced Study, located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States, is an independent postgraduate center for theoretical research and intellectual inquiry. It was founded in 1930 by Abraham Flexner...
.
From 2002, Sackett was the director of the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics (a part of ANU
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
) for five years until standing down to concentrate on mentoring and research. In her role as director, Sackett was responsible for the management of Mount Stromlo Observatory
Mount Stromlo Observatory
Mount Stromlo Observatory located just outside of Canberra, Australia, is part of the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the Australian National University .-History:...
in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
and Siding Spring Observatory
Siding Spring Observatory
Siding Spring Observatory near Coonabarabran, New South Wales, Australia, part of the Research School of Astronomy & Astrophysics at the Australian National University , incorporates the Anglo-Australian Telescope along with a collection of other telescopes owned by the Australian National...
in Coonabarabran, New South Wales
Coonabarabran, New South Wales
Coonabarabran is a town in Warrumbungle Shire in northern New South Wales, Australia. At the 2006 census, the town had a population of 2,609.-History and description:...
. As director of the Mount Stromlo observatory, she was responsible for its reconstruction after the 2003 Canberra bushfires
2003 Canberra bushfires
The Canberra bushfires of 2003 caused severe damage to the outskirts of Canberra, the Australian capital city. Almost 70% of the Australian Capital Territory’s pasture, forests and nature parks were severely damaged, and most of the renowned Mount Stromlo Observatory was destroyed...
. The reconstruction work proved difficult due to disagreements with the insurers and was further complicated by the heritage status of the observatory requiring the Australian Heritage Commission
Australian Heritage Council
Australian Heritage Council was established on 19 February, 2004 as the Australian body responsible for advising the Australian Government on cultural heritage matters...
to approve all works.
In September 2008, Sackett was appointed the Chief Scientist of Australia
Office of the Chief Scientist (Australia)
The Office of the Chief Scientist is part of Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research . Its primary responsibilities are to support the Chief Scientist and the Prime Minister's Science, Engineering and Innovation Council .-Chief Scientist:The Chief Scientist is responsible for...
; taking over duties in November 2008. Announcing her appointment, the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research
Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research (Australia)
The current Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research is Kim Carr, appointed on 3 December 2007. He administers his portfolio through the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research.-List of Ministers for Industry :...
, Senator
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
Kim Carr
Kim Carr
Kim John Carr is an Australian politician. He has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian Senate since April 1993, representing the state of Victoria. He was elected to the Senate at the March 1993 election, and was due to take his seat on 1 July...
said Sackett is "an accomplished cross-disciplinary scientist with a record of academic excellence on three continents ... highly respected in the national and international communities of science and technology, both for her research and her proven experience in research management." After commencing her work at the Office of the Chief Scientist, she remained an adjunct professor at the ANU and continue to supervise research students. Sackett was the first full-time Chief Scientist since the role was downgraded to a part-time position in 1996. She announced that she would leave the post in a letter to fellow scientists on 18 February 2011, citing professional and personal reasons,.
Research and affiliations
While a physicist by training and an astronomer by profession, Sackett considers herself an educator by inclination and is certified to teach science at primary and secondary school levels. Her research interests include extrasolar planetExtrasolar planet
An extrasolar planet, or exoplanet, is a planet outside the Solar System. A total of such planets have been identified as of . It is now known that a substantial fraction of stars have planets, including perhaps half of all Sun-like stars...
s—Sackett was an innovative user of gravitational microlensing
Gravitational microlensing
Gravitational microlensing is an astronomical phenomenon due to the gravitational lens effect. It can be used to detect objects ranging from the mass of a planet to the mass of a star, regardless of the light they emit. Typically, astronomers can only detect bright objects that emit lots of light ...
to search for extrasolar planets—dark matter
Dark matter
In astronomy and cosmology, dark matter is matter that neither emits nor scatters light or other electromagnetic radiation, and so cannot be directly detected via optical or radio astronomy...
and galactic structure. In 2006, Sackett was one of a team of 73 astronomers from 31 institutions in 12 countries that discovered OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb
OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb
OGLE-2005-BLG-390Lb is a 'super-Earth' extrasolar planet orbiting the star OGLE-2005-BLG-390L, which is situated 21,500 ± 3,300 light years away from Earth, near the center of the Milky Way galaxy...
, a small, cool planet orbiting a star in the inner Milky Way
Milky Way
The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains the Solar System. This name derives from its appearance as a dim un-resolved "milky" glowing band arching across the night sky...
.
Sackett is an Elected International Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society
Royal Astronomical Society
The Royal Astronomical Society is a learned society that began as the Astronomical Society of London in 1820 to support astronomical research . It became the Royal Astronomical Society in 1831 on receiving its Royal Charter from William IV...
and a board member of the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy
Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy
The Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy is a consortium of universities and other institutions that operates astronomical observatories and telescopes...
. She is a member of the Astronomical Society of Australia
Astronomical Society of Australia
The Astronomical Society of Australia is the professional body representing astronomers in Australia. Established in 1966, it is incorporated in the Australian Capital Territory. Membership of the ASA is open to people "capable of contributing to the advancement of astronomy or a closely related...
, the American Astronomical Society
American Astronomical Society
The American Astronomical Society is an American society of professional astronomers and other interested individuals, headquartered in Washington, DC...
, the International Astronomical Union
International Astronomical Union
The International Astronomical Union IAU is a collection of professional astronomers, at the Ph.D. level and beyond, active in professional research and education in astronomy...
and the Association for Women in Science
Association for Women in Science
The Association for Women in Science is a national advocacy organization championing the interests of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics across all disciplines and employment sectors.-History:...
. She is a member of the board of directors of the Giant Magellan Telescope
Giant Magellan Telescope
The Giant Magellan Telescope is a ground-based extremely large telescope planned for completion in 2018. It will consist of seven diameter primary segments, with the resolving power of a primary mirror and collecting area equivalent to one...
project. In 1995, Sackett and Kailash Sahu founded the Probing Lensing Anomalies Network
Probing Lensing Anomalies Network
The Probing Lensing Anomalies NETwork collaboration coordinates a network of telescopes to rapidly sample photometric measurements of the magnification of stars in the galactic bulge undergoing gravitational microlensing by intervening foreground stars...
(PLANET) collaboration. Sackett is one of seven women chosen by the Office of the Status of Women to act as an ambassador to promote science to secondary school students.
External links
- Canberra-based astronomer Penny Sackett named as new chief scientist (video) Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 30 September 2008.
- Open letter from the director – Professor Sackett after the destruction of Mount Stromlo observatory
- The Chief Scientist
- Office of the Chief Scientist
- Ri Aus - people in Science
- An announcement from the Chief Scientist