Jocelyn Bell Burnell

Jocelyn Bell Burnell, born on July 15, 1943, is a distinguished Northern Irish physicist and astrophysicist renowned for her groundbreaking discovery of the first radio pulsars in 1967 while pursuing her doctorate. This monumental achievement, which contributed significantly to the field of astrophysics, was recognized with the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1974, although she was notably not among the recipients of the award.

Throughout her illustrious career, Bell Burnell has held several prestigious positions, including serving as the president of the Royal Astronomical Society from 2002 to 2004 and the Institute of Physics from October 2008 to October 2010. Following the passing of her successor, she took on the role of interim president in early 2011. Additionally, she was appointed Chancellor of the University of Dundee from 2018 to 2023.

In 2018, she was honored with the Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics, a recognition that came with a prize of three million dollars. Demonstrating her commitment to fostering diversity in the field, she chose to allocate the prize money to establish a fund aimed at supporting female, minority, and refugee students aspiring to become research physicists, which is managed by the Institute of Physics.

Bell Burnell's contributions to science have continued to be acknowledged, as she became the second female recipient of the prestigious Copley Medal in 2021, following Dorothy Hodgkin in 1976. In 2025, her legacy was further celebrated when her image was featured on an An Post stamp honoring women in STEM.