Stories from 2007
Physicist receives Institute award for outstanding outreach work
Institute Awards
18 January 2007
Dr SharonAnn Holgate (pictured), a freelance science writer and broadcaster, received the Young Physicist award at the Institute of Physics awards dinner at the Savoy Hotel in London on 18 January 2007. She was given the prize for her outreach work and for taking physics to a young audience through science talks, books and TV and radio appearances.
The Young Professionals award was established by the Institute in 2003 and each year is awarded to a physicist who has made an outstanding contribution to taking physics to young people outside of the classroom.
SharonAnn said: “One of the main reasons I wanted to become a science writer and broadcaster was because I wanted to pass my love of science onto the next generation and hopefully inspire them, just like my favourite authors and presenters inspired me when I was a child. There is a massive lack of people entering physics in the UK, and if I can do anything to help reverse this trend then I will.”
Her achievements include:
Guest, along with rock musician Chris Rea, knitter and historian Anne Sinclair and playwright Arnold Wesker on 'Midweek' with Libby Purves on BBC Radio 4.
Contestant on 'Boffins Special' of the Weakest Link on BBC 2 with Anne Robinson.
Presenter and writer of BBC Radio 4 documentary "The Indian Particle Man", about Prof S.N.Bose, with film actor Saeed Jaffrey playing the part of Bose.
She is currently finishing work on an undergraduate textbook on the physics of solids. She continued: “I was concerned by the drop-out of students both from physics research in general, and from this important area so have attempted to make this book as accessible as possible by writing in a similar style to that of a popular science book. I’ve also included journalistic content and dramatic pictures, which highlight the applications of the various topics. I am keen to encourage all students, no matter what their location, so have included research from as many different countries as possible, including so far: India, Japan, the US, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK and Australia.”