Premana Premadi

Premana Wardayanti Premadi (born 13 July 1964) is an Indonesian astronomer who is currently a professor at the Bandung Institute of Technology. She has been head of the Bosscha Observatory since 2018.

Premana Premadi
Premadi in 2019
Born (1964-07-13) 13 July 1964
Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia
Alma materBandung Institute of Technology
University of Texas at Austin
Scientific career
FieldsAstronomy
Astrophysics
InstitutionsBandung Institute of Technology
Bosscha Observatory
ThesisThe study of light propagation in inhomogeneous universes using the gravitational lensing method (1996)

Early life and education

Premadi was born in Surabaya, East Java on 13 July 1964.[1] Her father Premadi was a surgeon, and her mother Soewarni Premadi was a nurse.[2] She briefly studied in Palembang for elementary school before continuing her studies in Jakarta.[3] In an interview, Premadi stated that she was inspired to study astronomy by her high school teachers and from images sent by the Voyager program.[4] She obtained a bachelors in astronomy from the Bandung Institute of Technology in 1988, and later a doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin in 1996.[5] She was the first Indonesian woman to receive a doctorate in astrophysics.[6][7] According to Premadi, she was also the only women and Asian studying astrophysics in Austin during her time.[1]

Career

After completing her doctorate in Texas, she returned to Indonesia and began to lecture astronomy at ITB.[1] She helped in the curricular development of astronomy there.[8] She then became head of the Bosscha Observatory in Lembang, West Java, in 2018. Under her leadership, the observatory focused on solar observations due to a lack of available equipment.[9] She has also been involved in the construction of the Timau Observatory in Timor.[10] She is also active in science outreach, creating the Indonesian branch of Universe Awareness in 2007 to teach astronomy to young children and chairing the organization until 2013.[4][11][12]

Premadi was chairman of the Indonesian Astronomical Association between 2001 and 2010.[8] She was made a professor in cosmic structure evolution at ITB in August 2023.[13]

Personal life

She is married to Yudi Soeharyadi, a lecturer in mathematics at ITB. In 2010, Premadi was diagnosed with ALS.[2] She later founded the Indonesian ALS Foundation, and chairs the organization.[14]

Awards and honors

The main belt asteroid 12937 Premadi, discovered in 1960 by C. J. van Houten, was named in her honor in 2017.[12][15] She was the first female astronomer in Indonesia to have an asteroid named in her honor.[4] She was awarded a honorary fellowship of the Royal Astronomical Society in 2023.[11]

References
  1. "Berkenalan dengan Sosok Perempuan Kepala Observatorium Boscha". liputan6.com (in Indonesian). 28 November 2019. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  2. "Sains, Religi, dan Manusia di Mata Premana Wardayanti Premadi, Doktor Astrofisika Wanita Pertama Indonesia". Femina (in Indonesian). 17 June 2017. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  3. "Mengenal Premana, Perempuan Pertama Kepala Observatorium Bosscha" (in Indonesian). Riau Islands Provincial Government. 27 December 2019. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  4. "Kisah Astronom Wanita Pertama RI yang Diabadikan di Asteroid". CNN Indonesia (in Indonesian). 3 September 2021. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  5. "Prof. Dra. Premana Wardayanti Premadi, Ph.D." (in Indonesian). Bandung Institute of Technology. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  6. "Premana Premadi, Memberdayakan Masyarakat Lewat Astronomi" (in Indonesian). General Electric. 19 February 2018. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  7. "Kepala Observatorium Bosscha, Premana W. Premadi Raih Penghargaan Inspiring Women 2022" (in Indonesian). Bandung Institute of Technology. 21 May 2022. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  8. Aisyah, Novia (16 January 2023). "Kepala Observatorium Bosscha Raih Penghargaan Bergengsi Bidang Astronomi". detikedu (in Indonesian). Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  9. Leksono, Ninok (9 January 2023). "Premana Wardayanti Premadi, Matahari dan Kosmologi". kompas.id (in Indonesian). Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  10. Mahbub, Amri (25 March 2018). "Observatorium Kupang, Harapan Baru Astronomi Indonesia". Tempo (in Indonesian). Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  11. "Honorary Fellowship - Dr. Premana Premadi" (PDF). Royal Astronomical Society. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  12. "12937 Premadi (3024 P-L)". JPL Small-Body Database. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  13. "Selamat dan Sukses Prof. Premana Wardayanti Premadi, Ph.D." (in Indonesian). Bandung Institute of Technology. 29 August 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  14. "Wakil Ketua MPR Tekankan Pentingnya Deteksi Dini untuk Mencegah Penyakit Langka". SINDOnews Nasional (in Indonesian). 29 March 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  15. Widyanto, Untung (9 April 2017). "Astronom ITB Jadi Nama Asteroid 12937 Premadi". Tempo (in Indonesian). Retrieved 19 October 2023.
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