Rebecca Priestley

Rebecca Katherine Priestley CRSNZ is a New Zealand academic, science historian, and writer. She is Professor in Science in Society at Victoria University of Wellington.

Rebecca Priestley

CRSNZ
Picture of Dr Rebecca Priestly
Priestley in 2019
Alma materUniversity of Canterbury, Victoria University of Wellington
AwardsPrime Minister’s Science Communicator’s Prize 2016
Scientific career
FieldsScience communication
InstitutionsVictoria University of Wellington
Doctoral advisorJohn Hearnshaw
Philippa Mein Smith
Philip Catton

Education

Priestley earned a BSc in geology at Victoria University of Wellington (VUW) in 1990, a Bsc (Hons), First Class, in physical geography at VUW in 1992, and a PhD in history and philosophy of science from the University of Canterbury in 2010 with a thesis titled Nuclear New Zealand: New Zealand's nuclear and radiation history to 1987, supervised by Philip Catton, John Hearnshaw and Philippa Mein Smith.[1][2]

Academic career

Priestley is a Professor in Science in Society at Victoria University of Wellington, where she teaches undergraduate courses in science communication and creative science writing, and leads a Master of Science in Society programme.[3][1][4]

The three areas of Priestley's research are: 20th-century history of science, with a focus on science in New Zealand and Antarctica; science communication and public engagement with science; and creative science writing practice. Priestley took a sabbatical to do a Master of Arts in creative writing at the International Institute of Modern Letters (IIML), in the nonfiction stream, writing a book about Antarctica.

Priestley co-founded the Centre for Science in Society at Victoria University which focuses on the relationship between science, scientists, society, the history of science, and the communication of scientific ideas and issues to different audiences using the vast range of media sources available today.

She was the 2016 winner of the Prime Minister's Science Communicator's Prize. In June 2017, Priestley co-founded the Aotearoa New Zealand Science Journalism Fund, which offers funding for projects reporting on science-related issues of importance to New Zealanders.

In July 2018, Priestley was elected as a Companion of the Royal Society Te Apārangi.[5]

Selected works
  • Dispatches from Continent Seven: an anthology of Antarctic science, Priestley, R. (Ed.). (2016), Wellington, New Zealand: Awa Press.[6]
  • The Fukushima Effect in New Zealand: a historical perspective from a 'nuclear-free' country, Priestley, R. (2016). In Hindmarsh, R., & Priestley, R. (Eds.), The Fukushima Effect: a new geopolitical terrain. New York, USA, London, UK: Routledge.[7]
  • Mad on Radium: New Zealand in the Atomic Age, Priestley, R. (2012). Auckland, New Zealand: Auckland University Press.[8]
  • The Awa Book of New Zealand Science, Priestley, R. (Ed.). (2008), Wellington, New Zealand: Awa Press.[9]
  • Atoms, dinosaurs & DNA: 68 great New Zealand scientists, Meduna, V., & Priestley, R. (2008), Auckland, New Zealand: Random House.[10]

Awards

References
  1. "Rebecca Priestley | Faculty of Science | Victoria University of Wellington". www.victoria.ac.nz. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  2. Priestley, Rebecca (2010). Nuclear New Zealand: New Zealand's nuclear and radiation history to 1987 (Doctoral thesis). UC Research Repository, University of Canterbury. doi:10.26021/4867. hdl:10092/5007.
  3. "Faculty of Science – Rebecca Priestley".
  4. Wellington, Victoria University of (7 February 2023). "Promotion to Professor 2022 | News | Victoria University of Wellington". www.wgtn.ac.nz. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  5. "Royal Society Te Apārangi – Six women recognised for leadership and sustained contributions to science and the humanities in Aotearoa". royalsociety.org.nz. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  6. Dispatches from Continent Seven: an Anthology of Antarctic Science. Awa Press. 2016. ISBN 978-1927249055.
  7. The Fukushima Effect: a new geopolitical terrain. Routledge. 2016. ISBN 9781138830783.
  8. Mad on Radium: New Zealand in the Atomic Age. Auckland University Press. 2012. ISBN 978-1869407278.
  9. The Awa Book of New Zealand Science. Awa Press. 2008. ISBN 9780958262996.
  10. Atoms, dinosaurs & DNA: 68 great New Zealand scientists. Random House. 2008. ISBN 978-1869419547.
  11. "Listener interview with Rebecca Priestley about RSNZ book award".
  12. https://www.pmscienceprizes.org.nz/2016-prime-ministers-science-communication-prize-winner/ 2016
  13. "Storylines Notable Books Award 2009" (PDF).
  14. "LIANZA Elsie Locke Non-Fiction Award".
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