Meganne Christian: Difference between revisions

[[File:ESA astronaut announcement Class of 2022 (52519889235).jpg|thumb|left|Christian at the [[2022 European Space Agency Astronaut Group]] announcement, Paris]]

Born in [[Kent]], [[England]] to [[New Zealanders|New Zealand]] parents, at five she moved with her family to [[Wollongong]], Australia.<ref name="Times">{{Cite news |last=Burgess |first=Kaya |title=British Paralympian John McFall hopes to make history as astronaut |newspaper=[[The Times]] |language=en |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/british-paralympian-john-mcfall-hopes-to-make-history-as-first-para-astronaut-in-space-320fckkpz |access-date=2022-11-23 |issn=0140-0460}}</ref><ref name="corrierebologna" /> She attended [[The Illawarra Grammar School]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=School (TIGS) |first=The Illawarra Grammar |title=Alumni Showcase {{!}} Meganne Christian |url=https://www.tigs.nsw.edu.au/news/alumni-showcase-meganne-christian/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220126144459/https://www.tigs.nsw.edu.au/news/alumni-showcase-meganne-christian/ |archive-date=2022-01-26 |access-date=2022-01-26 |website=The Illawarra Grammar School (TIGS) |language=en-AU}}</ref> and was part of the school's 2002 international championship team of [[Future Problem Solving Program International]].<ref>{{Cite news|date=2002-07-03|title=TIGS girls now world title winners|page=2|work=[[Wollongong Advertiser]]|url=https://archive.org/details/wollongong-advertiser-tigs-fps-2002}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Australia |first=Future Problem Solving Program |title=Parent Perspectives Newsletter |url=https://fpsp.org.au/Parent-Perspectives-Newsletter~3252 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220825195332/https://fpsp.org.au/March_2021_Parent_Perspectives_Newsletter |archive-date=2022-08-25 |access-date=2022-02-02 |website=fpsp.org.au |language=en-AU}}</ref> Studying at the [[University of New South Wales]], in 2009 Christian received a [[Bachelor of Engineering]] and the [[university medal]] in [[industrial chemistry]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Prize Winners 2009 |url=https://www.student.unsw.edu.au/prizes/2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220323073636/https://www.student.unsw.edu.au/prizes/2009 |archive-date=2022-03-23 |access-date=2022-01-26 |website=www.student.unsw.edu.au |language=en}}</ref> Continuing at UNSW, she received the 2011 [[Heinz Harant]] award<ref>{{Cite web |title=Heinz Harant Award |url=https://www.arc.unsw.edu.au/community/heinz-harant-award |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220825195721/https://www.arc.unsw.edu.au/about/awards/heinz-harant-award |archive-date=2022-08-25 |access-date=2022-02-02 |website=Arc UNSW Student Life}}</ref> and her [[doctorate]] in 2014 for research into [[hydrogen storage]] with [[borohydride]]s,<ref>{{Cite thesis|last=Christian|first=Meganne|year=2013|title=PH.D THESIS: Core-shell borohydrides for reversible hydrogen storage|url=http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/53100|access-date=2022-01-26|website=www.unsworks.unsw.edu.au|publisher=[[UNSW]] Open Access institutional repository|doi=10.26190/unsworks/16535 |hdl=1959.4/53100 |type=Thesis |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Staff & Alumni |url=https://merlin-h2.com/about/staff-alumni/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220126144455/https://merlin-h2.com/about/staff-alumni/ |archive-date=2022-01-26 |access-date=2022-01-26 |website=MERlin University of Sydney EnergyH |language=en-GB}}</ref> after which she moved in [[Bologna]] and worked at the Institute of Microelectronics and Microsystems (IMM) at the National Research Council of Italy.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2018-11-19|title=NuoviEmiliani. Meganne, ricercatrice quasi italiana|page=|work=Aria Pulita [Television broadcast]|publisher=[[7 Gold]] - Emilia Romagna|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PR4MnnBwMMM}}</ref><ref name="corrierebologna" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Meganne, da Bologna ai ghiacci dell'Antartide tra gli scogli della Brexit - cittadinanza Italiana per Meganne Christian {{!}} IMM Container |url=https://www.imm.cnr.it/articles/meganne-da-bologna-ai-ghiacci-dell%E2%80%99antartide-tra-gli-scogli-della-brexit-cittadinanza |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220203211033/https://www.imm.cnr.it/articles/meganne-da-bologna-ai-ghiacci-dell%E2%80%99antartide-tra-gli-scogli-della-brexit-cittadinanza |archive-date=2022-02-03 |access-date=2022-02-02 |website=www.imm.cnr.it |publisher=IMM Bologna|language=it}}</ref> The [[List of ambassadors of Australia to Italy|ambassador of Australia to Italy]] featured Christian as part of [[International Day of Women and Girls in Science]] 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Twomey|first=Margaret|date=2021-02-11|title=Oggi celebriamo le #DonnenellaScienza, tra cui Meganne Christian dall'🇦🇺, laureata alla @UNSW. Meganne ha visitato due volte l'Antartide e lavora in 🇮🇹 presso @CNRsocial_@ItaliAntartide|url=https://twitter.com/ausambrome/status/1359786688025948161|access-date=2022-02-02|website=Twitter|language=it}}</ref> In June 2023, she was appointed Reserve Astronaut and Exploration Commercialisation Lead at the UK Space Agency.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=UK Space Agency welcomes reserve astronaut Meganne Christian |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-space-agency-welcomes-reserve-astronaut-meganne-christian |access-date=2023-08-24 |website=GOV.UK |language=en}}</ref> In March 2024, she was elected as a Fellow of the [[Royal Aeronautical Society]].<ref>{{Cite tweet |number=1773069476642148433 |user=astro_meganne |title=I was honoured to be elected as a Fellow of the @AeroSociety |first=Meganne |last=Christian |date=2024-03-27 |access-date=2024-03-28}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=UK aims for the stars – Space-Comm Expo 2024 |url=https://www.aerosociety.com/news/uk-aims-for-the-stars-space-comm-expo-2024/ |access-date=2024-03-28 |website=Royal Aeronautical Society}}</ref>

 

She holds four citizenships, British and New Zealand by birth, and Australian and Italian by naturalisation.<ref name=":1" /> She was married on [[Australia Day]] 2014 at [[St James' Church, Sydney]] to Liam Wyatt.<ref>{{Cite web |date=26 January 2014 |title=Ringing World BellBoard |url=https://bb.ringingworld.co.uk/view.php?id=1103234 |access-date=2022-11-23 |website=bb.ringingworld.co.uk |language=en}}</ref> She received [[Italian citizenship]] in 2022.