User:Martinastro1

Martin Griffiths

Martin Griffiths is an outstanding and enthusiastic science communicator; a dynamic lecturer, writer and professional astronomer. In recognition of his work in public outreach and his contribution to adult education in Wales he became co-recipient of the Astrobiology Society of Britain Public Engagement Award in July 2008 along with his colleagues on the RoCCoTO project, the largest Astrobiology outreach programme in Europe.

Martin has traveled the world utilizing astronomy as a tool to encourage a greater public understanding of science. To promote and advance public interest in astronomy, he has written Alien Worlds, a book enabling everyone to enjoy the wonders of the night sky. His images of astronomical objects have appeared in numerous magazines and newspapers. He is a regular contributor to the online science magazine Lab Lit.

Martin has an impressive knowledge of astronomy and is passionate about the loss of our astronomical heritage due to increasing light pollution. His teaching methods utilize a holistic, cultural and historical approach to observational astronomy which stresses a cross disciplinary understanding of the arts and sciences. Martin considers the importance of conserving the night sky as a scientific and cultural resource paramount.

Martin has a first class honours degree in Science and Science Fiction and a masters degree in science communication. He is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, a member of the British Astronomical Association, the Astrobiology Society of Britain, the European Science Communication Network, the European Society for the History of Science, the Planetary Society and the Society for Popular Astronomy. He has appeared on BBC 1, Einstein TV, Granada TV, the Discovery Channel and broadcasts regularly on BBC Wales Radio.

Projects

Between 1990 and 2001 Martin was coordinator of a successful worldwide amateur based research project to detect supernovae in bright galaxies within 50 million light years of Earth.

Between 1996 and 2002, he was Director of the University of Glamorgan mobile planetarium, visiting localities across Wales to address key stage elements in astronomy and related sciences at primary and secondary school level. During this time over 60,000 children experienced the wonders of the universe via this initiative. He also coordinated outreach programmes at the Pontypridd Cultural and Heritage Centre for primary school activities during the British Science Association's annual National Science Week each Spring.

Martin is a founder member of the prestigious Science Communication Committee for the NASA Astrobiology Institute, which was active between 2003 – 2006, which was responsible for providing guidance for research and technology development across NASA enterprises that encompass the space, Earth and biological sciences. In addition to promoting astrobiology teaching, curriculum design and public communication. This “roadmap” was updated in 2008 and provides a valuable resource for astrobiologists and can be found at: astrobiology.arc.nasa.gov/roadmap/

Between 2003 and 2008, he was manager of a European Social Fund project utilizing community outreach programs to teach astrobiology and astronomy across south Wales. This was one of the largest astrobiology outreach projects in the world. Martin is currently engaged in widening access via invited lectures, public speaking, or teaching modules in the community.

He has been consulted on several museum projects such as the Star Trek exhibition at the National Museums and Galleries of Wales (2002) and the Science of Aliens exhibit (2006) at the Science Museum London. Martin is a consultant to the WEBB – Share project, providing educational items in astronomy and its local history to schools in Wales and the marches. This project is currently being extended for IYA2009 across Wales. He is also a consultant on all things astronomical or space related to BBC Wales.

Between 2007 – 2008 Martin was a consultant to the University of Glamorgan computer graphics team who have made several astronomically based multimedia files available for science education which can be found at: alienworlds.darkskywales.org. This team went on to win second prize for these simulations at the Alternative Learning Technology annual conference September 2008.

Currently Martin is involved in educational consultancy; the provisioning and planning of field schools with Dr John Griffiths (Royal Observatory, Greenwich) at his Andalusian Observatory. He is also involved in UK astronomy activities for the International Year of Astronomy 2009.