Niamh Shaw

Niamh Shaw is an Irish scientist, engineer, STEM communicator, writer, and performer.[1]

Niamh Shaw
A Woman in blue with lanyard at a conference
Dr. Niamh Shaw in 2017
Alma materUniversity College Dublin, (PhD)
Occupation(s)Science Communicator, writer and performer
Years active2005 — today
Websiteniamhshaw.ie

Shaw was the 2019–2020 Honorary Ambassador for the Irish Girl Guides[2] in recognition of the trail she has blazed for girls and women in Ireland. Her first book, Dream Big: An Irishwoman's Space Odyssey, published by Mercier Press[3] tells the story of her 40-year quest to fulfill her childhood dream.

Early life and education

Shaw graduated from University College Dublin in 1990 with a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering, focusing on Biosystems Engineering, a Master in Biosystems Engineering in 1995, and Ph.D. in Food Science in 2001.[4][5]

From 2001–2003 Shaw was a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Food Science and Technology at University College Dublin.

In 2015, she participated in the International Space University Space Studies Programme.

Acting and Broadcasting

In 2003, Shaw began performing and acting.[6] In 2007–2008 she appeared as Frances McGuigan in Fair City and as Mable Mills in the movie Dorothy Mills. She also appeared in Satellites & Meteorites (2008), A Shine of Rainbows (2009), Hideaways (2011), Little Brother, Big Trouble: A Christmas Adventure (2012), and You're Ugly Too (2015).

As an improvisation comedian, she has performed with The Craic Pack Comedy Improv, The Cardinals, Snatch Comedy, Cork, and The Second City, Los Angeles.[4]

Science communicator

In 2011, Shaw created her first theatre show, "That's About the Size of It".[7] During the show's making, she was invited by an arts initiative at CERN (Arts@CERN) to discuss her ideas about STEM and public engagement with particle physicists at the facility.[5] The show toured from 2011 to 2013.

Other science-related shows include Baking in Space (2018–2019),[8][9] Art in Mind (2016–2018),[10][11] Irish Astronauts of 1991 (2018),[12] My Place in Space (2014–2016), and Memory of Place (2015).

From 2014 to 2019, she was an artist in residence at Cork Institute of Technology BlackRock Castle Observatory.

Shaw is a co-founder of STEAMakers, a global initiative with her fellow SSP15 alumni, to create a global community and inspire the next generation to consider careers in STEM.[13] She has presented scientific papers on the collaborative nature of her work between technology, science, and art.[14] She is a regular speaker at STEM events to promote "Women in STEM" science outreach.[15] In 2014, she participated in TEDxUCD (2014).[4]

She has been contributing to the International Space University Space Studies Programme since 2016, as a lecturer in 2016, core lecture co-chair in 2017, and co-chair for the Humanities Department in 2018.[16]

Since 2014, Shaw has set her life's mission to get to space as an artist and citizen rather than an astronaut.[17]

In 2019, she travelled to NASA's Johnson Space Centre in Houston, Texas to speak at their annual Cross Industry Innovation Summit.[18]

Speaker / lecturer

Shaw has spoken at conferences, summits, and TEDx events, including WIRED UK (Tate Modern, UK), New Scientist Live (Excel UK), and NASA Johnson Innovation Summit (Houston, Texas, USA).

On 9 March 2019, she spoke at Áras an Uachtarain, in response to President Higgin's "Women in STEM" speech at a special reception to celebrate International Women's Day.[19]

Since completing the Space Studies Programme in 2015, she has been involved in lecturing on communications and arts content at the same programme in 2016, 2017, and 2018.[20]

Performer / writer / artist

Shaw's theatre project, Diary of a Martian Beekeeper,[21] premiered at Space week 2017, followed by a limited run in 2018.[22] The show was funded under Science Foundation Ireland's 2017 Discover programme, working with ESA's Astronaut Centre to capture the massive group effort behind human space exploration.[23]

Her second STEAM show, To Space concerned her dream to get to the International Space Station, sharing her mission with the astronaut crew on board.[24] The show toured Europe and Australia between 2014–2016, including Edinburgh Fringe (2015), Adelaide Fringe (2016), Edinburgh International Science Festival (2016), and Cheltenham Science Festival (2016).

She has presented academic aspects of her work in STEAM at scientific conferences, including Communicating Astronomy with the Public (CAP) 2018, the International Astronautical Congress (2017, 2016), the European Geosciences Assembly (2015–2018), and European Planetary Sciences Congress (2015).[25]

Shaw is a regular contributor to Irish radio and press on science and technology-related topics, and a regular writer for the BBC Sky at Night[26] astronomy magazine.

Her other work in science art and technology and public engagement includes Memory of Place (Festival of Curiosity, 2016, 2015), "Dream Big" (International Space University, 2015), "Speaking with Plants" (University College Dublin Science Expression, 2014), That's About The Size Of It (Dublin City of Science, 2012; Dublin Fringe Festival, 2011), Boys of Foley Street (ANU Productions, Dublin Theatre Festival, 2012).

Her work has been supported by the European Space Agency (2015), Science Foundation Ireland (2014), The Arts Council of Ireland (2014, 2011), Arts@CERN (2011), Show in A Bag (2011), Dublin City Council Drama Bursary (2011).

Shaw is an alumna of MAKE (2011), The SPACE Programme (2011), The Festival of Curiosity Residency (2013), and The Robert Wilson Watermill International Spring Residency, New York (2010).[25]

Analog Mars Missions

In 2017, she was part of Crew 173 in a simulated Mars mission at the Mars Desert Research Station in southern Utah as the artist and journalist for an international crew of six.[27]

After MDRS-173, she experienced a zero-g flight at the Star City Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center.[27]

In 2018, she was an advisor and artist at a new analogue Mars facility, D-MARS, located in the Ramon Crater, Israel, and documented their first analog mission, D-MARS01.[28]

Shaw has worked with Lottie Dolls to create a workshop for young girls, combining drama and space exploration.[29] She has brought along Stargazer Lottie to her Mars Analog mission experiences, both in Utah and Israel,[30] as well as bringing the doll to the zero-g flight in Russia.[6]

Based on her Mars Analog experiences, Shaw joined with Sarah Baxter to create Shaw's third theater show, Diary of a Martian Beekeeper (2018).[31]

Television, radio, and print

Shaw is a regular contributor on television and radio about science topics and her space adventures. She has appeared on The Tommy Tiernan Show, The Late Late Show, Today show on RTÉ One, and The Seven O'Clock Show on TV3. She has also contributed articles on a variety of space and science-related topics.[32]

Honours and awards

In 2014 she was named one of Ireland's talented 38 Technology Women.[33]

Shaw won a Science Foundation Ireland Outstanding Contribution to STEM Communication Award in 2018, sharing with Dr. John O'Donoghue of the Royal Society of Chemistry.[1]

On International Women's Day 2019, at a special reception at Áras an Uachtaráin to celebrate Irish Women in STEM, she was invited to respond to Uachtaráin na hEireann, President Michael D. Higgins's speech.[19] She is the 2019/2020 Honorary Ambassador to the Irish Girl Guides.[2]

References
  1. "Science Foundation Ireland 2018 Science Awards recognise key leaders in the Irish Research Community". Science Foundation Ireland. 12 November 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  2. "Meet Our New Ambassador!". 8 April 2019.
  3. Niamh Shaw (2020). Dream Big: An Irishwoman's Space Odyssey. Mercier Press. ISBN 978-1781177150.
  4. "TEDxUCD 2014 – Dr Niamh Shaw". University College Dublin.
  5. "'Unless I do it, it will haunt me for the rest of my life' – Former Fair City actress on her determination to become an astronaut". Independent.ie. 1 July 2018.
  6. "Meet a Rocket Woman: Niamh Shaw, Space Communicator, Artist & Engineer". rocket-women.com. 21 January 2018.
  7. "'That's About The Size Of It' by Niamh Shaw". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  8. "Baking in Space | British Council". www.britishcouncil.ie.
  9. "Baking in Space- a British Council of Ireland Science week 2018 event". YouTube. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  10. Art in Mind Ireland – Highlights Film. Vimeo.com. British Council Ireland. 26 January 2018. Archived from the original on 5 February 2019 – via Wayback Machine.
  11. "Art in Mind – How Nature Inspires (Dublin) – SOLD OUT! | British Council". www.britishcouncil.ie.
  12. "Ireland's Astronauts of 1991– a Science week 2018 event". YouTube. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  13. Shaw, Niamh; Sorkhabi, E; Gasquez, O; Yajima, S (2016), "STEAMakers-a global initiative to connect STEM career professionals with the public to inspire the next generation and nurture a creative approach to science, technology, maths & engineering", EGU General Assembly Conference 2016, vol. 18, p. 9585, Bibcode:2016EGUGA..18.9585S
  14. "Papers by Niamh Show presented at the IAC conferences". International Astronautical Congress.
  15. "Science Events". 10 June 2019.
  16. "Niamh Shaw, SSP18 ISU faculty". ISU.
  17. "Dr Niamh Shaw on The Tommy Tiernan Show, RTE 1 Jan 2018". YouTube. 1 January 2018.
  18. Shaw, Niamh (10 June 2019). "Journey To Space". niamhshaw.ie.
  19. "Niamh Shaw responds to International Women's Day speech by President Higgins" – via SoundCloud.
  20. "Public Events Keynote". 10 June 2019.
  21. Shaw, Niamh (21 February 2018). "Diary of a Martian Beekeeper by artist/scientist & space explorer". YouTube. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  22. Falvey, Deirdre. "Are bees the key to colonising Mars?". The Irish Times.
  23. "New theatre show about living on Mars". Esa.int.
  24. Claire O'Connell (18 July 2014). "Scientist-turned-performer Niamh Shaw has her sights on space". SiliconRepublic.com.
  25. "Theatre Art – Niamh Shaw". 10 June 2019.
  26. "-skyatnightmagazine". skyatnightmagazine. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  27. British Science Association website
  28. Niamh's space odyssey, Irish Independent newspaper, 17 October 2020
  29. "Space Week – Theatre production; workshops and talks – Niamh Shaw". primarytimes. September 2017.
  30. "Lottie is Out of this World with Astronaut Dr Niamh Shaw". Lottie Dolls. 8 May 2018.
  31. "Diary of a Martian Beekeeper – Niamh Shaw – Mar 2018".
  32. "Media – Niamh Shaw". 10 June 2019.
  33. John Breslin (10 October 2014). "Ireland's Talented 38 Technology Women 2014". Technology Voice.
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