Naomi McClure-Griffiths is a radio astronomer who was appointed Professor of Radio Astronomy at the Australian National University in 2015. Her principal research is on the evolution of the Milky Way and nearby galaxies, particularly in relation to gas evolution, magnetism and feedback. For her discovery of an outer spiral in the Milky Way she was awarded to 2006 Malcolm McIntosh Prize for Physical Scientist of the Year. Other discoveries include 19 new shells and to chimneys. McClure-Griffiths has been involved in the Galactic All Sky Survey, with the aim of creating the most sensitive and high resolution all-sky atlas of hydrogen, and in the planning of the international Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project.
"Naomi McClure-Griffiths is Australia's pre-eminent expert on the atomic hydrogen gas distribution and evolution in our galaxy, the Milky Way, and its neighbours, the Magellanic Clouds. She has made seminal contributions to our understanding of atomic gas and magnetism within these galaxies through leadership of high-fidelity observational surveys undertaken with Australia's radio telescope facilities. Her work includes the discovery of a new spiral arm within the Milky Way, the first detection of neutral gas out-flowing from the nucleus of the Milky Way, and the pioneering demonstration of the importance of magnetic fields in the flow of matter into the Galactic disk." [from https://www.science.org.au/profile/naomi-mcclure-griffiths 28/6/2022]
1997
1997
Education - BS (hons), Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio, U.S.A.
2001
2001
Education - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Minnesota, U.S.A.
2001
2001
Life event - Migrated to Australia
2001
2004
Career position - Bolton Post-doctoral Fellow, Australia Telescope National Facility
2004
2006
Career position - Senior Postdoctoral Fellow, Australia Telescope National Facility
2006
2006
Award - Malcolm McIntosh Prize for Physical Scientist of the Year, Commonwealth of Australia
2006
2012
Career position - OCE Science Leader, Australia Telescope National Facility
2007
2007
Award - Powerhouse Wizard Award, Powerhouse Museum, Sydney
2012
2014
Career position - Deputy Head of Astrophysics, Australia Telescope National Facility
2014
2015
Career position - Head of National Facility Science, Australia Telescope National Facility
2015
Career position - Professor of Radio Astronomy, Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Australian National University
2015
2015
Award - Pawsey Medal, Australian Academy of Science
2016
2022
Career position - Member (ex offico), National Committee for Astronomy, Australian Academy of Science
November 2016
2022
Career position - Chair and Director, Astronomy Australia Limited
2022
Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Science (FAA)
2025
Career position - Chief Scientist, Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO)
2025
2025
Award - Ellery Lectureship for Outstanding Contributions to Astronomy, Astronomical Society of Australia