Dame Margaret Ebunoluwa Aderin (previously Aderin-Pocock; born 9 March 1968) is a British broadcaster, writer, science educator and engineer. She is an honorary research associate of University College London's Department of Physics and Astronomy, and has been the chancellor of the University of Leicester since 1 March 2023. Since February 2014, she has co-presented the long-running astronomy television programme The Sky at Night with Chris Lintott. In 2020, Aderin was awarded the William Thomson, Lord Kelvin Medal and Prize from the Institute of Physics for her public engagement in physics. She is the first black woman to win a gold medal in the Physics News Award and she served as the president of the British Science Association from 2021 to 2022.
Early life and education Margaret Ebunoluwa Aderin was born in London on 9 March 1968 to Nigerian parents, Caroline Philips and Justus Adebayo Aderin, and lived with two older sisters and one younger sister. She was raised partly in Hastings and then Camden, due to her parents separation when she was four. Her mother remarried, Barry a vicar whose vicarage was located in Hastings. Her middle name Ebunoluwa comes from the Yoruba words ebun meaning 'gift' and Oluwa meaning 'God', which is also a variant form of the word Oluwabunmi or Olubunmi, meaning 'gift of God' in Yoruba. She attended thirteen schools including La Sainte Union Convent School in North London which she joined at age fourteen, caring for her father, who was losing his sight. Although suffering from hyperfixation and dyslexicia, she joined the top stream and studied intensively. As a child, when she told a teacher she wanted to be an astronaut, it was suggested she try nursing, "because that's scientific, too". She constructed her own telescope and gained A-Levels in mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology. She studied at Imperial College London, graduated with a BSc in physics in 1990, and completed her PhD in mechanical engineering under the supervision of Hugh Spikes in 1994. Her research investigated the development of an ultra-thin film measurement system using spectroscopy and interferometry to the 2.5 nm level. This involved improving the optical performance and the mechanical design of the system, as well as the development of control and image processing software. Other techniques at the time could only operate to the micron level with much poorer resolution. This development work resulted in the instrument being sold by an already-existing Imperial College University spin-off company, PCS Instruments.
Career and research Aderin has worked on many projects in private industry, academia, and government. From 1996 to 1999 she worked at the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency, a branch of the Ministry of Defence. Initially, she was a systems scientist on aircraft missile warning systems; from 1997 to 1999, she was a project manager developing hand-held instruments to detect landmines. In 1999, Aderin returned to Imperial College on a fellowship from the Science and Technology Facilities Council to work with the group developing a high-resolution spectrograph for the Gemini telescope in Chile. The high spectral resolution of the instrument allowed studies of stellar populations, interstellar medium, and some physical phenomena in stars with small masses. She worked on and managed the observation instruments for the Aeolus satellite, which measured wind speeds to help the investigation of climate change. She is a pioneering figure in communicating science to the public, specifically school children. Her company, Science Innovation Ltd, engages children and adults through its "Tours of the Universe" a programme that explains about the science of space. Aderin is committed to inspiring new generations of astronauts, engineers and scientists. She has spoken to approximately 25,000 children, many from inner-city schools, explaining how and why she became a scientist, challenging perceptions about careers, class, and gender. She helps encourage scientific endeavours of young people by being a judge at the National Science + Engineering Competition. The finals of this competition are held at The Big Bang Fair in March each year, and reward young people who have achieved excellence in a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics project. Aderin was the scientific consultant for the 2009 mini-series Paradox, and also appeared on Doctor Who Confidential. In February 2011, she presented Do We Really Need the Moon? on BBC Two. She presented In Orbit: How Satellites Rule Our World on BBC Two on 26 March 2012. As well as presenting The Sky at Night with Chris Lintott, Aderin has presented Stargazing on CBeebies with Chris Jarvis, and Out of This World on CBBC with her daughter Lauren. She has also appeared on Would I Lie to You?, Dara O Briain's Go 8 Bit, Richard Osman's House of Games, and QI. She held the Dictionary Corner of the 136th episode of the 2023 series of Countdown. Since 2006, Aderin has served as a research fellow at UCL Department of Science and Technology Studies, supported by a Science in Society fellowship 2010–13 funded by Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC). She previously held two other fellowships related to science communication, including science and society fellowships 2006–08 Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC) and 2008–10 (STFC). In 2006, she was one of six "Women of Outstanding Achievement" winners with GetSET Women.
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