Premana Wardayanti Premadi (born 13 July 1964) is an Indonesian astronomer who is a professor at the Bandung Institute of Technology. She has been head of the Bosscha Observatory since 2018.
Premana Premadi | |
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 Premadi in 2019 | |
| Born | 13 July 1964 Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia |
| Alma mater | |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | |
| Institutions |
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| Thesis | The study of light propagation in inhomogeneous universes using the gravitational lensing method (1996) |
| Doctoral advisor | Richard Matzner |
Early life and education
editPremadi was born in Surabaya, East Java on 13 July 1964.[1] Her father Premadi was a surgeon and her mother Soewarni Premadi was a nurse.[2] She briefly studied in Palembang for elementary school before continuing her studies in Jakarta.[3] In an interview, Premadi stated that she was inspired to study astronomy by her high school teachers and from images sent by the Voyager program.[4] She obtained a bachelors in astronomy from the Bandung Institute of Technology in 1988, and later a doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin in 1996.[5] She was the first Indonesian woman to receive a doctorate in astrophysics.[6][7] According to Premadi, she was also the only woman and Asian studying astrophysics in Austin during her time.[1] Her dissertation was titled, The Study of Light Propagation in Inhomogeneous Universes Using the Gravitational Lensing Method.[8] Richard Matzner was Premadi's doctoral advisor and Hugo Martel mentored her.[8] She was introduced to Matzner by Cécile DeWitt-Morette.[8]
Career
editAfter completing her doctorate in Texas, she returned to Indonesia and began to lecture astronomy at ITB.[1] She helped in the curricular development of astronomy there.[9] She then became head of the Bosscha Observatory in Lembang, West Java in 2018. Under her leadership, the observatory focused on solar observations due to a lack of available equipment.[10] She has also been involved in the construction of the Timau Observatory in Timor.[11] She is also active in science outreach, creating the Indonesian branch of Universe Awareness in 2007 to teach astronomy to young children and chairing the organization until 2013.[4][12][13]
Premadi was chairman of the Indonesian Astronomical Association between 2001 and 2010.[9] She was made a professor in cosmic structure evolution at ITB in August 2023.[14]
Personal life
editShe is married to Yudi Soeharyadi, a lecturer in mathematics at ITB. In 2010, Premadi was diagnosed with ALS.[2] She later founded the Indonesian ALS Foundation, and chairs the organization.[15]
Awards and honors
editThe main belt asteroid 12937 Premadi, discovered in 1960 by C. J. van Houten, was named in her honor in 2017.[13][16] She was the first female astronomer in Indonesia to have an asteroid named in her honor.[4] She was awarded a honorary fellowship of the Royal Astronomical Society in 2023.[12]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Berkenalan dengan Sosok Perempuan Kepala Observatorium Boscha". liputan6.com (in Indonesian). 28 November 2019. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
- ^ a b "Sains, Religi, dan Manusia di Mata Premana Wardayanti Premadi, Doktor Astrofisika Wanita Pertama Indonesia". Femina (in Indonesian). 17 June 2017. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
- ^ "Mengenal Premana, Perempuan Pertama Kepala Observatorium Bosscha" (in Indonesian). Riau Islands Provincial Government. 27 December 2019. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
- ^ a b c "Kisah Astronom Wanita Pertama RI yang Diabadikan di Asteroid". CNN Indonesia (in Indonesian). 3 September 2021. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
- ^ "Prof. Dra. Premana Wardayanti Premadi, Ph.D." (in Indonesian). Bandung Institute of Technology. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
- ^ "Premana Premadi, Memberdayakan Masyarakat Lewat Astronomi" (in Indonesian). General Electric. 19 February 2018. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
- ^ "Kepala Observatorium Bosscha, Premana W. Premadi Raih Penghargaan Inspiring Women 2022" (in Indonesian). Bandung Institute of Technology. 21 May 2022. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
- ^ a b c Premadi, Premana Wardayanti (December 1996). The Study of Light Propagation in Inhomogeneous Universes Using the Gravitational Lensing Method (Ph.D. thesis). University of Texas at Austin. OCLC 39186698.
- ^ a b Aisyah, Novia (16 January 2023). "Kepala Observatorium Bosscha Raih Penghargaan Bergengsi Bidang Astronomi". detikedu (in Indonesian). Retrieved 19 October 2023.
- ^ Leksono, Ninok (9 January 2023). "Premana Wardayanti Premadi, Matahari dan Kosmologi". kompas.id (in Indonesian). Retrieved 19 October 2023.
- ^ Mahbub, Amri (25 March 2018). "Observatorium Kupang, Harapan Baru Astronomi Indonesia". Tempo (in Indonesian). Retrieved 19 October 2023.
- ^ a b "Honorary Fellowship - Dr. Premana Premadi" (PDF). Royal Astronomical Society. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
- ^ a b "12937 Premadi (3024 P-L)". JPL Small-Body Database. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
- ^ "Selamat dan Sukses Prof. Premana Wardayanti Premadi, Ph.D." (in Indonesian). Bandung Institute of Technology. 29 August 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
- ^ "Wakil Ketua MPR Tekankan Pentingnya Deteksi Dini untuk Mencegah Penyakit Langka". SINDOnews Nasional (in Indonesian). 29 March 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
- ^ Widyanto, Untung (9 April 2017). "Astronom ITB Jadi Nama Asteroid 12937 Premadi". Tempo (in Indonesian). Retrieved 19 October 2023.