Mariano Méndez receives the European prize for teaching astronomy in developing countries

Groningen high-energy astrophysics professor Mariano Méndez receives the 2023 Jocelyn Bell Burnell Medal of Inspiration. Méndez receives the award for his decades-long efforts in astronomy education in developing countries. This was announced by the European Astronomical Society.

Mariano Mendez (1960) grew up in Argentina. He studied astronomy at the University of La Plata. In 1989, he received his doctorate cum laude from this university. He moved to the Netherlands in 1996 to do a post-doctorate at the University of Amsterdam. In 2001, he continued his research at SRON. He has been working at the University of Groningen since 2007. Since 2016 he is Professor of High Energy Astrophysics at the Kapteyn Institute in Groningen. In 2022, he made the news with a “heart film” of a black hole.

Mendéz never forgot his own background and throughout his life promoted the advancement of science in developing countries. He did this without compensation alongside his research career. For example, it has set up a program that allows astronomers and space researchers in developing countries to access scientific data.

Méndez was also one of the founders of career workshops and mentorship programs for young astronomers in developing countries. More than 1500 students have participated in these workshops. They come from more than fifty different countries, such as Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Egypt, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Thailand and Vietnam. During a workshop, young researchers discovered a rare magnetar. A number of students now hold influential positions in space research.

About the medal
THE Jocelyn Bell Burnell Medal of Inspiration of the European Astronomical Society is intended for astronomers whose efforts go beyond their scientific research. The prize was first awarded in 2021. It depended on Mirjana Pović who works partly in Ethiopia and partly in Spain. Mariano Méndez is the second recipient of the award. Méndez received international recognition from the Committee for Space Research (COSPAR) in 2018.

Source: European Astronomical Society | Press release (pdf)