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Danielle George
Danielle George
Danielle George
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Danielle Amanda George CBE FIET (née Kettle; born 27 January 1976[3][4]) is a Professor of Radio frequency engineering in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) and Associate Dean for Teaching and Learning at the University of Manchester in the UK.[5][6] George became the 139th President of the Institution of Engineering and Technology in October 2020.[7] George was appointed as the Chief Scientific Adviser for National Security[8] in 2025.

Key Information

Education

[edit]

George was born to a car mechanic father and a mother who taught children with special needs, and is the middle of three sisters.[9] She grew up in Newcastle upon Tyne[4] and was educated at Kenton School[10] and the University of Liverpool where she completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Astrophysics.[3]

After her Master of Science degree in the School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester,[11] she worked at Jodrell Bank Observatory (JBO), as a radio frequency engineer. Alongside her engineering work, she completed a PhD degree at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) for research on low-noise amplifiers.[2]

Career and research

[edit]

George worked at JBO as a senior microwave engineer until 2006, when she was appointed a lecturer in the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. She was promoted to Professor at the age of 38 in 2014.[4] She served as editor of the International Journal of Electrical Engineering & Education 2013[12] to 2014.[13] George's research[14][15][16][17] and development investigates low noise receivers[18][19][20][21] and particularly:

George is the UK lead for amplifiers in the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) telescope and has worked with NASA and the European Space Agency on the development of instrumentation for researchers exploring the Big Bang.[4][23]

George's research has been funded by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)[24] and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).[22] She is co-founder of the Manchester Recycled Robot Orchestra.[citation needed]

In 2017, she and Christophe Galfard (a former Ph.D. student of Stephen Hawking), presented The Search for a New Earth on BBC 2, exploring how and if humans could reach for the stars and then relocate to different planets. It had clips of Prof. Stephen Hawking talking about his various theories. "We can, and must, use our curiosity and intelligence to look to the stars".[25]

Honours and awards

[edit]

George gave the 2014 Royal Institution Christmas Lectures on how to hack your home.[4][26][27][28] At the time of the lectures, George was the sixth woman since 1825[29] to present the Christmas lectures, following Susan Greenfield (1994), Nancy Rothwell (1998), Monica Grady (2003), Sue Hartley (2009), and Alison Woollard (2013). The lectures included a live conversation with Samantha Cristoforetti on the International Space Station[30] and turning the Shell Centre in London into a giant game of tetris.[31][32][33] In 2016, the Royal Academy of Engineering awarded her the Rooke Award for public promotion of engineering.[34]

George was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2016 Birthday Honours for services to engineering through public engagement[3][35] and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2024 New Year Honours for services to public engagement in engineering.[36]

George was awarded the Michael Faraday Prize by the Royal Society in 2018.[37] She is also a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (FIET).[3]

References

[edit]
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Danielle George

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Danielle George CBE is a British electrical , academic, and science communicator specializing in , known for her contributions to microwave communications and public engagement in STEM fields. She holds the position of Professor of Radio Frequency Engineering and Associate Vice-President for Teaching and Learning at the , where she has worked since 1999, and was appointed Chief Scientific Adviser for in April 2025. George earned her BSc in from the University of Liverpool in 1997, followed by an MSc in from the in 1998, and a PhD in from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) in 2006. Early in her career, she worked as a radio frequency engineer at , contributing to projects in low-noise receivers for astronomical observations. Her research focuses on solving grand engineering challenges, including the development of ultra-low noise receivers for major international projects such as the (SKA), the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), and /ESA space missions. Throughout her career, George has been a prominent advocate for and diversity, serving as President of the (IET) from 2020 to 2021 and president of the Association for Science Education (ASE) in 2016. She gained widespread recognition for presenting the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures in 2014 on the theme "Sparks Will Fly: How to Hack Your Home," which highlighted engineering's role in scientific discovery, and for innovative public projects like co-founding the and transforming a into an interactive game. Her efforts in science communication have earned her numerous accolades, including the MBE in 2016 and CBE in 2024 for services to engineering through public engagement, the Royal Academy of Engineering's Rooke Medal in 2016, the Institute of Measurement and Control's Harold Hartley Medal in 2017, and the Royal Society's Prize in 2018.

Early life and education

Early life

Danielle George was born in January 1976 in , . She was the middle child of three sisters, raised by a father who worked as a car mechanic and a mother who served as a . Growing up in a working-class household, George experienced a supportive family environment filled with laughter, encouragement, and a strong emphasis on curiosity, despite her parents lacking higher education themselves. These socioeconomic and cultural influences from her roots in Newcastle played a key role in igniting her passion for and , particularly through her father's practical, hands-on approach to mechanical work in his garage, which modeled problem-solving and tinkering with everyday objects. Her family's tradition of watching educational programs like the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures further reinforced this early fascination with how the world works. George later transitioned to formal at Kenton School in Newcastle.

Formal education

George attended Kenton School, a comprehensive secondary school in Newcastle upon Tyne, where she developed an interest in science through supportive teachers. She pursued higher education at the , earning a degree in in 1997. Following this, George continued her studies at the , where she completed a in in 1998. George then obtained her PhD in from the in 2006, focusing her doctoral research on the design of low-noise amplifiers for applications at . Her thesis work involved developing specialized amplifiers to enhance signal detection from distant astronomical sources, addressing challenges in for sensitive observations.

Professional career

Academic appointments

Following the completion of her PhD in from the University of Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) in 2006, Danielle George joined the university as a in the Department of Electrical and . In this initial academic role, she focused on teaching design to undergraduate and postgraduate students, drawing on her background in to bridge theoretical concepts with practical applications. George advanced steadily through the academic ranks at , serving as and then reader before her promotion to Professor of Radio Frequency Engineering in at the age of 38. As professor, she continued to contribute to the curriculum in electrical and , emphasizing innovative teaching methods that aligned with advancements in systems and low-noise technologies. In 2016, George was appointed Associate Dean for Teaching and Learning in the Faculty of and Physical Sciences, where she led initiatives in , student engagement, and pedagogical enhancement to support diverse learner needs. She later progressed to Vice-Dean for Teaching, Learning, and Students in the Faculty of and , and then to Associate Vice-President for Teaching and Learning, overseeing the integration of blended and flexible learning platforms to improve digital accessibility and educational outcomes for students and staff worldwide.

Leadership positions

In 2020, Danielle George was elected as the 139th President of the (IET), becoming only the second woman to hold the position in the organization's 150-year history. During her tenure from October 2020 to 2021, she led initiatives to celebrate the IET's 150th anniversary through exhibitions, talks, and archive projects that highlighted engineering's historical and global impact. A key focus was championing "Difference Makers"—innovators using engineering and technology to drive societal change—aimed at inspiring young people, particularly , to pursue STEM careers and broadening engagement beyond traditional communities. She also advocated for integrating into curricula via programs like the IET's Engineering Kids initiative. Prior to her presidency, George served as a of the IET from 2018 to 2020 and as a member of its Board of Trustees from 2017 to 2018, contributing to strategic governance in engineering standards and policy. She currently holds the position of Vice President at the , influencing advancements in computing and engineering integration. In early 2025, George was appointed Chief Scientific Adviser for , commencing her three-year term in April 2025 and succeeding Alex van Someren. In this role, hosted by , she provides independent scientific advice on national security matters, with a focus on defense, intelligence, and security technologies, while collaborating with other Chief Scientific Advisers on cross-departmental challenges. Her expertise in informs policy on emerging threats and technological resilience in these domains.

Research contributions

Low-noise amplifier development

Low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) are critical front-end components in receivers, tasked with amplifying faint electromagnetic signals from distant celestial sources—often on the order of 10^{-26} W/m²/Hz—while adding the least possible thermal or electronic noise to preserve the essential for detecting subtle astrophysical phenomena like radiation or molecular line emissions. In millimeter-wave regimes, where atmospheric absorption and limits challenge detection, LNAs enable broader bandwidths and higher sensitivities compared to traditional mixers, facilitating simultaneous observations across multiple frequencies without the need for complex cryogenic mixing stages. Danielle George's PhD research at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST; merged with the in 2004) (2003–2006) laid foundational groundwork for LNA advancements in , concentrating on semiconductor-based designs to handle high-frequency signals with minimal noise contribution. Her early work emphasized (MMIC) architectures using high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs), which incorporate or substrates to achieve low-noise figures through precise gate-length scaling and bias optimization, reducing shot and thermal noise in the 67–116 GHz bands. These techniques involved cryogenic cooling to approximately 20 K within specialized cryostats, which suppresses carrier scattering and Johnson noise, allowing amplifiers to operate effectively at signal levels far below room-temperature noise floors. Subsequent innovations from George's research group at advanced LNA efficiency and integration, including the development of multi-stage common-source topologies with matching networks and stabilizing resistors to ensure unconditional stability and flat gain responses across wide bandwidths. A notable example is a four-stage InP HEMT MMIC LNA spanning 125–211 GHz, fabricated on a 35 nm process, which delivered an average of 38.8 K (with peaks below 58 K) and 20.5 dB gain when cooled to 15–20 K, demonstrating enhanced power handling and reduced input for high-frequency noise minimization. George's contributions are documented in key publications, such as "Celestial Signals: Are Low-Noise Amplifiers the Future for Millimeter-Wave Receivers?" (2017), which advocated HEMT LNAs as viable alternatives to superconductor-insulator-superconductor mixers, reporting noise temperatures below 28 K over 84–116 GHz using MMIC designs for improved integration in array receivers. Another influential paper, "125–211 GHz Low Noise MMIC Amplifier Design for " (2019), detailed the noise-optimized HEMT cascade yielding sub-40 K performance, underscoring scalable fabrication for future observatories. These efforts have informed amplifier technologies for the , particularly enhancing mid-frequency signal detection capabilities in bands such as 5–15 GHz.

Major telescope projects

Danielle George serves as the lead for the development and integration of low-noise amplifiers in the () project, a multinational initiative to construct the world's largest array for probing the universe's fundamental questions. Her leadership focuses on delivering ultra-low noise receivers essential for the SKA's sensitivity requirements, with plans for deploying these amplifiers across the array's thousands of antennas in and to enable high-resolution observations of cosmic phenomena. These contributions integrate advanced to support the SKA's goal of surveying the sky with unprecedented detail, with ongoing work as of 2025. In the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) project, George has led enhancements to receiver technology as the for amplifier systems, emphasizing broadband (MMIC) low-noise amplifiers (LNAs). Her team developed LNAs for ALMA Band 2+3, achieving noise temperatures below 28 K across 70–110 GHz at cryogenic temperatures, which enables the combination of two receiver bands into a single wideband system for improved observational efficiency in millimeter-wave astronomy. This work advances ALMA's capabilities in studying and planetary systems by providing higher sensitivity and broader frequency coverage without increasing infrastructure complexity. Her involvement continues in the ALMA Wideband Sensitivity Upgrade as of 2024. George has collaborated with and the (ESA) on instrumentation for cosmology research, utilizing data from major telescopes to investigate the early universe's structure and evolution. These partnerships involve adapting her low-noise receiver technologies to support space-based and ground-based observations that trace radiation and galaxy formation in the post- era.

Public engagement and outreach

Media presentations

Danielle George has been a prominent figure in broadcast media, leveraging her expertise in to popularize for wide audiences. Her presentations often bridge complex astronomical concepts with accessible demonstrations, drawing on her background in to explain technological innovations and cosmic exploration. In 2014, George delivered the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures, a prestigious annual series aimed at young audiences, titled Sparks Will Fly: How to Hack Your Home. Broadcast on from 29 to 31 December, the three-part program explored principles through everyday inventions like the light bulb, , and , showing how they could be repurposed for modern applications such as smart homes and . As part of the lectures, George orchestrated a public demonstration turning the lights of London's skyscraper into a giant interactive game, engaging audiences with engineering applications. George presented the 2017 BBC Two documentary The Search for a New Earth alongside physicist and author Christophe Galfard, which aired on 11 September and examined humanity's potential to colonize other planets. The program delved into detection techniques, including radio telescopes, highlighting challenges in interstellar travel and habitable worlds. Beyond these major productions, George has made several television and radio appearances to promote . She featured on Four's The Sky at Night in 2023, discussing space debris mitigation in the episode "The UK Space Race". On radio, she appeared on Radio 4's The Life Scientific in 2015, where she explained her work designing low-noise amplifiers for astronomical observations, and on in 2016 and 2017, exploring everyday science through an astronomical lens.

Educational initiatives

Danielle George co-founded the Robot Orchestra, an innovative outreach project that engages young people in by repurposing recycled and old instruments into musical robots. Participants, including schoolchildren from , collaborate in hands-on workshops to build and program these devices, blending creativity, music, and to spark interest in STEM fields. The initiative premiered at the EuroScience Open Forum in 2016 and has since involved hundreds of youth in building over 50 , culminating in public performances that demonstrate practical concepts. George has actively participated in Maker Faires and led school workshops focused on , encouraging participants to experiment with everyday and build simple communication devices. These interactive sessions, often tied to her expertise in , aim to demystify complex topics like through playful, accessible activities suitable for primary and secondary students. As Associate Vice-President for Teaching and Learning at the , George has spearheaded broader initiatives to enhance diversity in STEM by supporting programs that target underrepresented groups, particularly women and girls, through and inclusive . Her efforts emphasize creating equitable pathways into engineering, drawing on her role as a prominent to inspire participation from diverse backgrounds.

Honours and awards

Scientific recognitions

In 2018, Danielle George was awarded the by the Royal Society, recognizing her excellence in communicating , particularly in the field of , through innovative public presentations that make complex technical concepts accessible to diverse audiences. This prestigious honor, one of the UK's highest accolades for , highlighted her ability to inspire interest in engineering challenges, such as sustainable technologies and innovative problem-solving. In 2016, George received the Rooke Medal from the Royal Academy of Engineering for her public promotion of engineering, including through initiatives like the Robot Orchestra that engage diverse audiences in STEM. For her research contributions to , George received the Harold Hartley Medal in 2017 from the Institute of Measurement and Control, awarded for outstanding advancements in measurement and control technologies. This peer-recognized honor acknowledged her work on systems and low-noise amplifiers, which enhance precision in and applications.

National honours

In 2016, Danielle George was appointed Member of the (MBE) in the Queen's for services to through public engagement. This honour recognised her early efforts in inspiring public interest in engineering and promoting STEM careers, contributing to broader national initiatives aimed at addressing skills shortages in technical fields critical to the UK's economy and security. George's contributions were further acknowledged in the , when she was promoted to Commander of the (CBE) for services to engineering through public engagement. The CBE highlighted her sustained impact on , technology, and engineering outreach, aligning with government STEM policies that emphasise public education to build resilience in areas such as innovation and .

References

  1. https://research.manchester.ac.uk/en/persons/danielle.george
  2. https://www.gov.uk/government/people/danielle-george
  3. https://www.mub.eps.manchester.ac.uk/science-engineering/2017/09/18/meet-university-manchesters-famous-alumni/
  4. https://www.mub.eps.manchester.ac.uk/eee/2018/03/13/meet-danielle-george/
  5. https://archivesit.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Prof-Danielle-George-Full-Interview-Transcript.pdf
  6. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/aug/19/christmas-lectures-hack-home-royal-institution-danielle-george
  7. https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/why-professor-danielle-george-has-got-all-the-answers-9903069.html
  8. https://www.daniellegeorge.co.uk/
  9. https://archivesit.org.uk/interviews/professor-danielle-george/
  10. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zo4Wf-Uiosc
  11. https://www.rigb.org/explore-science/explore/person/danielle-george
  12. https://www.daniellegeorge.co.uk/academic-work/
  13. https://www.manchester.ac.uk/about/news/prof-danielle-george-becomes-second-female-iet-president-in-150-years/
  14. https://www.theiet.org/membership/library-and-archives/the-iet-archives/iet-history/celebrate-150
  15. https://www.electronicspecifier.com/news/awards/iet-s-professor-danielle-george-receives-cbe-for-services-to-engineering/
  16. https://www.gchq.gov.uk/news/director-gchq-confirms-new-chief-scientific-adviser
  17. https://doi.org/10.1109/MMM.2017.2712038
  18. https://research.manchester.ac.uk/en/publications/125-211-ghz-low-noise-mmic-amplifier-design-for-radio-astronomy
  19. https://arxiv.org/pdf/1908.00466.pdf
  20. http://www.eaobservatory.org/jcmt/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/Fuller-Garry-EAO-Futures-2019.pdf
  21. https://www.eso.org/sci/meetings/2024/WSU/WSU_abstract_booklet.pdf
  22. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04wgf6g
  23. https://www.rigb.org/2014-christmas-lectures-take-over-london
  24. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0953y04
  25. https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/proginfo/2017/37/the-search-for-a-new-earth
  26. https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/documentaries/stephen-hawking-says-we-need-to-move-planet-but-is-he-right/
  27. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06gqx6d
  28. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001mwdn
  29. https://research.manchester.ac.uk/en/impacts/robot-orchestra
  30. https://blog.sciencemuseum.org.uk/forming-a-robot-orchestra/
  31. https://makezine.com/article/science/hacking-the-royal-institution-at-christmas/
  32. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/dec/14/how-to-hack-your-home-danielle-george-christmas-lectures
  33. https://www.theiet.org/media/press-releases/press-releases-2024/press-releases-2024-january-march/2-january-2024-iet-s-professor-danielle-george-receives-cbe-for-services-to-engineering
  34. https://royalsociety.org/news/2018/07/recipients-of-royal-society-medals-and-awards-2018-announced/
  35. https://www.manchester.ac.uk/about/news/royal-society-award-for-professor-danielle-george/
  36. https://raeng.org.uk/programmes-and-prizes/prizes/rooke-award/previous-winners/
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