Penny Sackett

Infobox Scientist
name = Penny Sackett


caption =
birth_date = birth date and age|1956|2|28
birth_place = Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
death_date =
death_place =
residence = Australia
nationality = American
field = Astronomy
work_institution = Australian National University
alma_mater = University of Pittsburgh
doctoral_advisor =
doctoral_students =
known_for = work on a microlensing technique to hunt for extrasolar planets
prizes =
religion =
footnotes =

Penny Diane Sackett (born February 28, 1956)cite web|url=http://www.dest.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/C2CF7F2A-6B98-496A-92E8-54759EE35823/3599/r10.pdf|title=Strategic Investment in Australian Research Infrastructure. A Submission to: The National Research Infrastructure Taskforce Department of Education, Science and Training|last=Sackett|first=Penny D.|date=2003-08-22|work=|publisher=Australian National University|accessdate=2008-09-30|format = PDF 19 pages.] is an American-born Australian [cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2008/s2377991.htm|title=Australia has new chief scientist|last=Millar|first=Lisa|date=2008-09-30|work=The World Today|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|accessdate=2008-09-30|quote=The US born Australian citizen ...] astronomer and former director of the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics (RSAA) at the Australian National University (ANU). From November 2008, Professor Sackett will be the Chief Scientist of Australia.

Early life and studies

Born in Lincoln, Nebraska—the daughter of an accountant and a business machine technician— Sackett spent her childhood in Omaha.cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/national/on-a-universal-quest-20081003-4tkv.html?page=-1|title=On a universal quest|last=Harrison|first=Dan|date=2008-10-04|publisher=The Age|accessdate=2008-10-03] While Sackett was interested in science from a very young age, her original inclination was towards biology or medicine.cite news|url=http://www.itwire.com/content/view/20904/1066/|title=Penny Sackett is Australia's new chief scientist: full time|last=Corner|first=Stuart|date=2008-09-30|publisher=iTwire|accessdate=2008-09-30] cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/rn/scienceshow/stories/2006/1757387.htm|title=Forum — Science as a career|date=2006-10-07|work=The Science Show|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|accessdate=2008-09-30] 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".

cientific career

Sackett worked for a time as a reporter for "Science News" 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 RSAA for five years until standing down to concentrate on mentoring and research.cite web|url=http://news.anu.edu.au/?p=711|title=ANU congratulates Sackett on Chief Scientist role|date=2008-09-30|publisher=Australian National University|accessdate=2008-09-30] 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.cite web|url=http://www.mso.anu.edu.au/~psackett/|title=Professor Penny D. Sackett|work=Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics|publisher=Australian National University|accessdate=2008-09-30] As director of the Mount Stromlo observatory, she was responsible for its reconstruction after the 2003 Canberra bushfires. [cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/rn/science/ss/stories/s1526457.htm|title=Mt Stromlo after the fire|work=The Science Show|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|accessdate=2008-09-30] 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. [cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/01/16/1073878033577.html?from=storyrhs|title=Rebuilding stumbles on insurance hurdle but hope burns bright|last=Woodford|first=James|date=2004-01-17|publisher=Sydney Morning Herald|accessdate=2008-09-30]

In September 2008, Sackett was appointed the Chief Scientist of Australia; taking over duties in November 2008. [cite news|url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,,24424680-601,00.html|title=Government appoints Penny Sackett as chief scientist|date=2008-09-30|publisher=The Australian|accessdate=2008-09-30] 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 will remain an adjunct professor at the ANU and continue to supervise research students. [cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/09/30/2377828.htm|title=ANU astronomer named new chief scientist|date=2008-09-30|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|accessdate=2008-09-30] Sackett will be the first full-time Chief Scientist since the role was downgraded to a part-time position in 1996.

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.cite web|url=http://minister.innovation.gov.au/Carr/Pages/PROFESSORPENNYSACKETTAUSTRALIASNEWCHIEFSCIENTIST.aspx|title=Professor Penny Sackett Australia's New Chief Scientist |date=2008-09-30|work=Media Release|publisher=Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research|accessdate=2008-09-30] Her research interests include extrasolar planets—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.cite journal | author=J.-P. Beaulieu; D.P. Bennett; P. Fouque; A. Williams; M. Dominik; U.G. Jorgensen; D. Kubas; A. Cassan; C. Coutures; J. Greenhill; K. Hill; J. Menzies; P.D. Sackett; M. Albrow; S. Brillant; J.A.R. Caldwell; J.J. Calitz; K.H. Cook; E. Corrales; M. Desort; S. Dieters; D. Dominis; J. Donatowicz; M. Hoffman; S. Kane; J.-B. Marquette; R. Martin; P. Meintjes; K. Pollard; K. Sahu; C. Vinter; J. Wambsganss; K. Woller; K. Horne; I. Steele; D. Bramich; M. Burgdorf; C. Snodgrass; M. Bode; A. Udalski; M. Szymanski; M. Kubiak; T. Wieckowski; G. Pietrzynski; I. Soszynski; O. Szewczyk; L. Wyrzykowski; B. Paczynski | title=Discovery of a Cool Planet of 5.5 Earth Masses Through Gravitational Microlensing | journal=Nature | year=2006 | volume=439 | issue= | pages=437 – 440 | url=http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v439/n7075/full/nature04441.html | doi=10.1038/nature04441] [cite web|url=http://www.mso.anu.edu.au/news/archive/2006/01_jan/|title=At Last! A Cool, Rocky Planet. |date=January 2006|work=RSAA News|publisher=Australian National University|accessdate=2008-09-30]

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 Australian Astronomical Society, 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 Kailesh 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.

References

External links

* [http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2008/09/30/2378442.htm Canberra-based astronomer Penny Sackett named as new chief scientist] (video) Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 30 September 2008.
* [http://www.mso.anu.edu.au/info/fire/open_letter_030127.php Open letter from the director] – Professor Sackett after the destruction of Mount Stromlo observatory
* [http://www.chiefscientist.dest.gov.au/ The Chief Scientist]
* [http://www.dest.gov.au/sectors/science_innovation/office_of_the_chief_scientist/ Office of the Chief Scientist]