Dr Alice Bunn OBE (FIMechE FRAeS CEng) is the chief executive of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and previously the international director of the UK Space Agency.

Alice Bunn
Alice Bunn in 2015
Born
Alice M. Bunn
EducationShrewsbury High School
Shrewsbury Sixth Form College
Alma materUniversity of Leeds
University of Cambridge (PhD)
Scientific career
InstitutionsUK Space Agency
ThesisGrain refinement in aluminium alloys (1998)
Websiteimeche.org/about-us/our-people/dr-alice-bunn

Early life and education

edit

Bunn is from Beckenham.[1] She attended Shrewsbury High School, Shropshire.[2] She completed GCE Advanced Levels at Shrewsbury Sixth Form College in Maths, Physics and Chemistry[2] and studied metallurgy at the University of Leeds, graduating in 1995.[3] She spent a year in Tampere at the University of Finland.[2] She obtained her PhD in 1998 from the University of Cambridge, where she worked in Metallurgy under the supervision of Lindsay Greer.[4]

Career

edit

After completing her PhD, Bunn joined the Science Museum, London as a researcher and developer of exhibitions.[5] She joined the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) as coordinator of Earth Observation Science in 2000.[5] She was made head of Earth Observation Future Missions in 2002.[5] She joined Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as location programme manager.

Bunn joined the UK Space Agency in 2011.[6] She led the International Charter for Space and Major Disasters from 2011 to 2012.[7] The charter forces the international community to provide satellite imagery immediately after a disaster.[7] She brokered the international agreement that ensured countries share satellite imagery after the MH370 disappearance.[8] She explored how satellite imagery can be used to save lives.[9] She formed a collaboration with the Italian Space Agency to share COSMO-SkyMed data.[10] In 2014 Bunn was appointed director of policy of the UK Space Agency.[5][11] She led the security, regulation, communications and international engagement.[12] In 2014 she was included in Marie Claire as one of their Top Women.[8][13] She was elected to the Space Foundation board of directors in 2015.[14] She led the space aspects of the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security program.[7] She was appointed vice chair of the European Space Agency in 2017.[15] She signed a joint statement to increase cooperation with CNES in January 2018.[16][17] The collaboration will continue in spite of Brexit.[11][18] She oversaw the collaborative agreement between Surrey Satellite Technology, Goonhilly Satellite Earth Station and the European Space Agency for commercial lunar missions.[19][20]

Lectures

edit

Bunn has spoken at the World Economic Forum[21] and also delivered the Reinventing Space Conference keynote lecture in 2014.[22] She spoke at the National Space Symposium in 2018.[23] She spoke at the 2017 Global Space Congress[24] and TEDx London in 2018.[25]

Work in education

edit

Bunn has been part of programs that encourage students to engage with space missions.[26] She also collaborated with the WISE Campaign to create a set of classroom resources based on the space sector to encourage primary school children to study physics.[27][28] Bunn has advised on civil space activities to the Minister for Universities, Science and Cities.[29]

Honours and awards

edit

In 1998 she won The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society Light Metals Division Light Metals Award for her paper Modelling of the Effectiveness of Al-Ti-B Refiners in Commercial Purity Aluminium.[3][30] She received The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society Smithells Memorial Prize.[3][when?]

Bunn was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2022 Birthday Honours for services to the UK space sector and charity.[31]

References

edit
  1. ^ Kersey, Molly. "Beckenham woman awarded for work which could 'save millions of lives'". bromleytimes.co.uk. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  2. ^ a b c "she-works | Dr Alice Bunn". She Works | Careers Site for Women. Archived from the original on 1 December 2018. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  3. ^ a b c "Recipients: The 1999 LMD Light Metals Award". tms.org. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  4. ^ Bunn, Alice M. (1998). Grain refinement in aluminium alloys. jisc.ac.uk (PhD thesis). University of Cambridge. OCLC 556593640. EThOS uk.bl.ethos.299008. Archived from the original on 1 December 2018. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  5. ^ a b c d "Dr Alice Bunn appointed UK Space Agency's Director of Policy". GOV.UK. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  6. ^ "Dr Alice Bunn - GOV.UK". gov.uk. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  7. ^ a b c "Interview: Alice Bunn | SpaceCareers.uk". SpaceCareers.uk. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  8. ^ a b "Dr Alice Bunn - Civil Service". civilservice.blog.gov.uk. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  9. ^ "Saving lives from space". bbc.co.uk. BBC News. 7 October 2012. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  10. ^ "Bilateral CSM Meeting - Catapult". Catapult. Archived from the original on 1 December 2018. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  11. ^ a b Cookson, Clive (14 December 2015). "Peake provides lift-off for renewed British space policy". Financial Times. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  12. ^ "UK Space Agency Annual Report and Accounts" (PDF). UK Space Agency Gov. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  13. ^ "Marie Claire Celebrates Our First Women At The Top Awards". Marie Claire. 2 October 2014. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  14. ^ "Space Agency Spotlight: UK Space Agency". Space Foundation. 22 December 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  15. ^ "Jean-Yves Le Gall, new chair of the European Space Agency (ESA) Council". France in the United Kingdom - La France au Royaume-Uni. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  16. ^ "UK-France Space Cooperation". bis-space.com. Archived from the original on 1 December 2018. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  17. ^ "Anglo, French space agencies sitting in a tree, K I S S I N G". Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  18. ^ "British and French space agencies sign a cooperation agreement at the Sandhurst Summit". Geospatial World. 22 January 2018. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  19. ^ "SSTL and Goonhilly Earth Station Sign Collaboration Agreement with ESA for Commercial Lunar Missions - Invest in Cornwall". investincornwall.com. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  20. ^ esa. "ESA signs collaboration agreement for commercial Lunar missions". European Space Agency. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  21. ^ "Alice Bunn". World Economic Forum. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  22. ^ "Previous keynotes – 16th Reinventing Space Conference". rispace.org. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  23. ^ "National Space Symposium". 10times.com. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  24. ^ Global Aerospace Summit (12 February 2017), Global Space Congress: An Interview with Dr. Alice Bunn, retrieved 30 November 2018
  25. ^ "TEDxLondonWomen | TED". ted.com. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  26. ^ Kuttab, Jasmine Al. "Emirati girl's finding to be sent to space". Khaleej Times. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  27. ^ "People Like Me: A Resource Pack For Schools" (PDF). WISE Campaign. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  28. ^ "ADS Advance - UK Space Agency backs campaign to inspire girls". adsadvance.co.uk. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  29. ^ "There are thousands of jobs behind every mission so we need to keep showing girls that it is possible to have a career in space - Dr. Alice Bunn, Policy Director at the UK Space Agency - Womanthology". Womanthology. 19 April 2017. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  30. ^ Bunn, A.M.; Evans, P. V.; Bristow, D. J.; Greer, A.L. (2013), "Modelling of the Effectiveness of Al-Ti-B Refiners in Commercial Purity Aluminium", Essential Readings in Light Metals, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., pp. 387–392, doi:10.1002/9781118647783.ch47, ISBN 9781118647783
  31. ^ "No. 63714". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 June 2022. p. B11.