Jan J. Eldridge is a theoretical astrophysicist based in New Zealand. Eldridge is the head of the Department of Physics at the

University of Auckland The University of Auckland (; Māori: ''Waipapa Taumata Rau'') is a public research university based in Auckland, New Zealand. The institution was established in 1883 as a constituent college of the University of New Zealand. Initially loc ...

and co-author of ''The Structure And Evolution Of Stars.''

Education and research

Eldridge obtained their MA and MSci from the

University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

, England. They also obtained their PhD in astrophysics at Cambridge, in the Institute of Astronomy, with a thesis titled 'Progenitors of Core-Collapse Supernovae'. They worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the

Institut d'astrophysique de Paris The Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris (translated: Paris Institute of Astrophysics) is a research institute in Paris, France. The Institute is part of the Sorbonne University and is associated with the CNRS Centre national de la recherche scientif ...

and Queen's University in Belfast, before returning to the Institute of Astrophysics at Cambridge. In 2011 they were appointed lecturer in astrophysics at the

in New Zealand. Eldridge studies the evolution of

binary star A binary star or binary star system is a system of two stars that are gravitationally bound to and in orbit around each other. Binary stars in the night sky that are seen as a single object to the naked eye are often resolved as separate stars us ...

s using numerical models. At the University of Auckland, together with , they co-developed the Binary Population and Spectral Synthesis (BPASS) models to study the evolution of stars. They used these models to show that

globular cluster A globular cluster is a spheroidal conglomeration of stars that is bound together by gravity, with a higher concentration of stars towards its center. It can contain anywhere from tens of thousands to many millions of member stars, all orbiting ...

s were younger than previously thought. Together with Christopher Adam Tout, they wrote ''The Structure And Evolution Of Stars'', published in 2019 by World Scientific Europe. Eldridge is a

Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) is a learned society and charity that encourages and promotes the study of astronomy, solar-system science, geophysics and closely related branches of science. Its headquarters are in Burlington House, on Pi ...

and Fellow of the

Astronomical Society of Australia The Astronomical Society of Australia (ASA) is the professional body representing astronomers in Australia. Established in 1966, it is incorporated in the Australian Capital Territory. Membership of the ASA is open to people "capable of contribut ...

and was awarded the Anne Green Prize in 2020.

LGBT+ advocacy

Eldridge is a

non-binary Non-binary or genderqueer Gender identity, gender identities are those that are outside the male/female gender binary. Non-binary identities often fall under the transgender umbrella since non-binary people typically identify with a gende ...

trans woman A trans woman or transgender woman is a woman who was assigned male at birth. Trans women have a female gender identity and may experience gender dysphoria (distress brought upon by the discrepancy between a person's gender identity and their ...

and is a strong advocate of LGBT+ inclusion. They sit on the Equity committee in the Faculty of Science at the University of Auckland. They also lead the Trans on Campus and Rainbow Science groups at the university. Their efforts have been recognized as key in winning the Pleiades Bronze Award by the Department of Physics at the University of Auckland. They also work with the Australian Society of Astronomy (ASA) on the Inclusive, Diverse, Equitable Astronomy (IDEA) group. For their work in LGBTI+ inclusion they were shortlisted for the New Zealand LGBTI Hero of the Year Award.

References

External links

* Oral history interview transcript for Jan Eldridge on 11 July 2024. Niels Bohr Library & Archives, American Institute of Physics, College Park, MD USA. - Interview conducted by Kai Hostetter-Habib. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Eldridge, Jan J Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Astrophysicists Alumni of the University of Cambridge Transgender scientists Academic staff of the University of Auckland Transgender non-binary people New Zealand transgender people New Zealand non-binary people 20th-century New Zealand astronomers 21st-century New Zealand astronomers Fellows of the Royal Astronomical Society Transgender academics Non-binary scientists

Education and research

LGBT+ advocacy

See also

References

External links