My name is Rebecca Bowler, I’m a Glasstone Research Fellow at the University of Oxford where I search for some of the first galaxies that formed after the Big Bang.
I won the RAS Winton Award for Astronomy in 2018 for "leading contributions to the understanding of luminous star forming galaxies at ultra-high redshifts”.
Working in astronomy is great because every day is different, from writing code to presenting my results in talks, designing research projects for students or writing proposals to use telescopes. The traditional image of a physicist or astronomer is someone like Einstein or Hubble, working alone at a chalkboard or telescope. My experience is totally the opposite as I work in many international teams where we collaborate to develop ideas and bring together the very best data to make new discoveries.
In addition to my work, I am an avid cyclist and occasional triathlete, so in my free time you will find me out with my cycling club or at the pool. Cycling, like physics, is a male dominated pursuit. Through my experience in both, the importance of role models cannot be overstated. Whether it’s watching Laura Kenny winning Olympic Gold on the track, women in my club winning local races, seeing Jocelyn Bell-Burnell in the canteen or leaders in my field giving keynote talks, seeing women excel is incredibly powerful. I aspire to inspire a more diverse physics community, and strongly believe that science is for everyone.