Carolina Ödman-Govender Explained

Carolina Ödman-Govender
Birth Name:Carolina Ödman
Birth Place:Switzerland[1]
Death Place:Cape Town, South Africa

Carolina Ödman-Govender (pronounced as /de/) (– 15 November 2022) was a Swiss physicist and academic who was Professor of Astrophysics at South Africa's University of the Western Cape. She was awarded the 2018 International Astronomical Union Special Executive Committee Award for Astronomy Outreach, Development and Education.

Early life and education

Ödman grew up in Switzerland; her parents were Swedish.[2] Inspired by her high school physics teacher, she pursued a career in the sciences. She studied physics at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne and graduated in 2000.[3] [4] [5] She earned her PhD at the University of Cambridge, where she was a member of Trinity Hall.[6] She has also consulted for UNESCO, working on the impact of science and technology in society. She became interested in the philosophical aspects of science; for example, why people are interested in astronomy.

Research and career

From 2004 to 2005 she was a Marie Curie Skłodowska postdoctoral scholar at Universita degli studi di Roma "La Sapienza".[7] She worked in cosmology on several subjects as dark energy, analysis of cosmic microwave background data, and inflation.[8] In 2005 Ödman joined Leiden University as an international project manager, where she worked with George Miley. Amongst other achievements, this involved setting up the Astronomy for Africa taskforce and leading Universe Awareness (UNAWE).[9] [10] Universe Awareness is an outreach programme that inspires children about astronomy, reaching over 400,000 children in over 60 countries.[11] [12] She joined the Square Kilometre Array project at the South African Astronomical Observatory in 2010. Ödman was made Director of Academic Development at the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences in 2011.[13] In 2012 she received the Science Prize for Online Resources in Education (SPORE) award for her work on Universe Awareness.[14] [15] She was part of the team that created GalileoMobile project.[16]

In 2018 Ödman was made Associate Director for Development and Outreach of the Inter-University Institute for Data Intensive Astronomy (IDIA) and an Associate Professor at the University of the Western Cape.

In 2021, she was awarded the 2020/2021 National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF)'s Communication Award,[17] "for reshaping how science is communicated to the general public and in particular research into building a scientific vocabulary in African languages".[18] [19]

Personal life and death

Ödman was married to Kevin Govender in South Africa. They had two sons.[20] [21]

In early 2018, Ödman was diagnosed with pancreatic adenocarcinoma.[22] She died in Cape Town on 15 November 2022, at the age of 48.[23] [24]

Publications

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Sharing Science: International Astronomical Award For IDIA Associate Director Carolina Odman. www.uwc.ac.za.
  2. Web site: Science Honors "Universe Awareness" with SPORE Award. American Association for the Advancement of Science. en. 12 July 2019.
  3. Web site: 22 May 2012. Carolina Ödman-Govender (PH'00, DR'03). EPFL . en.
  4. Web site: Chapters. EPFL Alumni. en-US. 12 July 2019.
  5. Web site: Presentations 2019: Day one eResearch Africa Conference. www.eresearch.ac.za. en. 12 July 2019.
  6. Web site: Crepuscular rays. www.atoptics.co.uk. 12 July 2019.
  7. Web site: CV of Carolina Odman.
  8. Web site: INSPIRE. inspirehep.net.
  9. Web site: Citizen Science. cosmoquest.org. en-US. 12 July 2019.
  10. Ödman. Carolina. August 2007. Making young children aware of the universe. Astronomy & Geophysics. 48. 4. 4.20–4.21. 10.1111/j.1468-4004.2007.48420.x. 1468-4004. free.
  11. Web site: Special IAU Prize Awarded to First Universe Awareness Project Manager UNAWE. www.unawe.org. 12 July 2019.
  12. Web site: UNAWE. www.unawe.org. 12 July 2019.
  13. Web site: Celebrating Women in Tech in Africa this International Women's Day. Dods. Philippa. 8 March 2019. South Africa — Meltwater. en. 12 July 2019.
  14. Journal Science honors 'Universe Awareness' with award . American Association for the Advancement of Science . EurekAlert! . 17 November 2022.
  15. Web site: Carolina Ödman-Govender, Ingénieure Sciences Physiques, 2000 – Video. WOXY.CO. WOXY.CO. en. 12 July 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190712234205/https://woxy.co/video/VT6xxZgy5g8/carolina-odman-govender-ingenieure-scien. 12 July 2019. dead.
  16. Web site: Making the World a Better Place Galileo Teacher Training Program. galileoteachers.org. 12 July 2019.
  17. Web site: National Science and Technology Forum 2020/2021 Award Winners. nstf.org.za. en-US. 15 November 2022.
  18. Web site: Prof Carolina Ödman For reshaping how science is communicated to the general public and in particular research into building a scientific vocabulary in African languages. . National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) . 17 November 2022 . 2021.
  19. News: Haggard . Kerry . The NSTF-South32 Awards . 17 November 2022 . The Mail & Guardian . 1 October 2021 . en-ZA . Communication Award: Professor Carolina Öddman from the Inter-University Institute for Data Intensive Astronomy at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) won for her outstanding promotion of academic research and teaching in science for development. She made significant contributions to the multi-disciplinary research into building a scientific vocabulary in African languages at UWC. ....
  20. Web site: Carolina Ödman-Govender . Ignite – Global Fund for Women . 15 January 2015 . 17 November 2022.
  21. Web site: Shaikh . Nabeelah . Gazing at the stars pays off for KZN man . IOL . 27 March 2016 . 17 November 2022.
  22. Web site: Carolina Ödman. carolune.org. en-US. 15 November 2022. 16 November 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221116002708/https://carolune.org/cancer/. dead.
  23. News: Thebus . Shakirah . Death of astrophysicist professor Carolina Ödman leaves loved ones feeling profound loss . 17 November 2022 . . . en.
  24. Web site: Remembering Prof. Carolina Ödman-Govender . African Astronomical Society . 16 November 2022 . 16 November 2022.

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