{{short description|Professor of Electronic & Electronic Engineering}} {{Infobox scientist | name = Cathryn Mitchell | alma_mater = University of Wales, Aberystwyth | awards = Keith Runcorn Prize (1997) <br> IOP Edward Appleton Medal and Prize (2019) | workplaces = University of Bath | thesis_title = Tomographic image of ionospheric electron density | thesis_year = 1996 }}
'''Cathryn N. Mitchell''' is a Professor of Electronic & Electronic Engineering at the University of Bath.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://researchportal.bath.ac.uk/en/persons/cathryn-mitchell|title=Cathryn Mitchell|website=the University of Bath's research portal|language=en|access-date=2019-07-24}}</ref> She was awarded the 2019 Institute of Physics Edward Appleton Medal and Prize.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://rsgb.org/main/blog/front-page-news/2019/07/05/award-for-professor-cathryn-mitchell-m0ibg/|title=Award for Professor Cathryn Mitchell, M0IBG - Radio Society of Great Britain - Main Site : Radio Society of Great Britain – Main Site|website=rsgb.org|access-date=2019-07-24}}</ref>
== Early life and education == Mitchell studied physics at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qLFgDQAAQBAJ&q=cathryn+mitchell+wales&pg=PR13|title=Advances in Earth Science: From Earthquakes to Global Warming|last=Thompson|first=J. M. T.|date=2007|publisher=Imperial College Press|isbn=9781860948718|language=en}}</ref> She remained there for her doctoral studies, where she explored the use of radio tomography to study the Earth's ionosphere. She was awarded the Royal Astronomical Society Keith Runcorn Prize (then Blackwell Prize) and University of Wales Granville Beynon prize for her dissertation.<ref name=":0" />
== Research and career == Mitchell was awarded an Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Challenging Engineering fellowship to develop algorithms for four-dimensional tomography, known MIDAS, Multi-Instrument Data Analysis Systems.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://epsrc.ukri.org/research/ourportfolio/themes/engineering/activities/chaleng/cureng/professorcathrynmitchell/|title=Professor Cathryn Mitchell, University of Bath - EPSRC website|website=epsrc.ukri.org|access-date=2019-07-07}}</ref> She joined the University of Bath in 1999. She has used her computational algorithms in medical physics, working with the Christie Hospital and Royal United Hospital Bath to image for human movement, particularly in Alzheimer's disease.<ref name=":1" /> She led a fieldwork mission with the British Antarctic Survey to Antarctica, where she set up equipment at Rothera, Halley and in the Shackleton Mountains. She held a Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award from 2009 to 2014.
She is a Professor of Radio Science at the University of Bath, where she served as Academic Director of the University of Bath Doctoral College from 2017-2022.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://commsfoundation.org/trustees/cathryn-mitchell/|title=Cathryn Mitchell|website=Radio Communications Foundation|language=en-US|access-date=2019-07-07}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.iop.org/about/awards/subject/appleton/appleton-medallists/page_72850.html|title=2019 Edward Appleton Medal and Prize|website=www.iop.org|access-date=2019-07-07|archive-date=2019-07-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190707204744/http://www.iop.org/about/awards/subject/appleton/appleton-medallists/page_72850.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bath.ac.uk/announcements/new-doctoral-college-appoints-academic-director/|title=New Doctoral College appoints Academic Director|website=www.bath.ac.uk|access-date=2019-07-07}}</ref> Mitchell developed a new Earth observation technique that uses ground-based and satellite data to image the ionosphere, providing information on how space weather may impact Global Positioning Systems (GPS).<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/av/science-environment-10957870/science-explained-how-does-sat-nav-work|title=Science Explained: How does sat-nav work?|work=BBC News|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-07-07}}</ref> The technique has provided the first view of the ionosphere in response to space weather.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qLFgDQAAQBAJ&q=Cathryn+N.+Mitchell&pg=PA93|title=Advances in Earth Science: From Earthquakes to Global Warming|last=Thompson|first=J. M. T.|date=2007|publisher=Imperial College Press|isbn=9781860948718|language=en}}</ref> Mitchell's research allows us to understand the origins of space weather as well as identifying how to better forecast. A solar storm in North America, one example of space weather, could result in a $2.6 trillion hit to the economy.<ref>{{Citation|last=The Royal Society|title=Who will save us from space storms?|date=2016-04-14|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6nN8elI9ZM|access-date=2019-07-07}}</ref> She showed that magnetospheric electric fields cause large plasma enhancements and uplifts. The Government of the United Kingdom have invested several million to develop the ionosphere algorithms in MIDAS for space weather forecasts.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=https://royalsociety.org/topics-policy/industry-innovation/case-studies/mitchell/|title=Professor Cathryn Mitchell {{!}} Royal Society|website=royalsociety.org|language=en-gb|access-date=2019-07-07}}</ref> Her algorithms have also contributed to GPS simulations developed by Spirent.<ref name=":3" />
In 2015 she was asked by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory to act as a UK government special adviser for the Emergencies sub group to examine infrastructure resilience to solar storms.
Mitchell held a Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Fellowship.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://researchportal.bath.ac.uk/en/persons/cathryn-mitchell|title=Cathryn Mitchell — the University of Bath's research portal|website=researchportal.bath.ac.uk|access-date=2019-07-07}}</ref> She is also involved with amateur radio and has written for The Conversation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.arrl.org/news/scientist-cathryn-mitchell-m0ibg-honored-for-ionospheric-imaging-research|title=Scientist Cathryn Mitchell, M0IBG, Honored for Ionospheric Imaging Research|website=www.arrl.org|access-date=2019-07-07}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://theconversation.com/profiles/cathryn-mitchell-140444|title=Cathryn Mitchell|website=The Conversation|date=7 October 2014 |language=en|access-date=2019-07-07}}</ref>
She currently holds a Royal Society Industry Fellowship.
=== Awards and honours === Her awards and honours include;
* 2020 Chapman Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ras.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2020-01/Chapman%20Medal_medallists.pdf|title=Chapman Medal Winners|publisher=Royal Astronomical Society|access-date= 29 August 2020}}</ref> * 2019 Institute of Physics Edward Appleton Medal and Prize<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bath.ac.uk/announcements/professor-cathryn-mitchell-awarded-institute-of-physics-prize/|title=Professor Cathryn Mitchell awarded Institute of Physics prize|website=www.bath.ac.uk|access-date=2019-07-07}}</ref> * 2006 Challenging Engineering Award * 2003 Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council Research Fellow * 1997 Keith Runcorn Prize * 1997 Royal Astronomical Society Blackwell Prize
=== Selected publications === *{{Cite journal|url=https://www.annalsofgeophysics.eu/index.php/annals/article/viewFile/4373/4442|title=A three-dimensional time-dependent algorithm for ionospheric imaging using GPS|last=Mitchell|first=Cathryn|date=August 2003|journal=Annals of Geophysics|volume=46|pages=687}} *{{Cite journal|title=History, current state, and future directions of ionospheric imaging|last=Mitchell|first=Cathryn|date=February 2003|journal=Reviews of Geophysics|volume=46|doi=10.1029/2006RG000212|doi-access=free}} *{{Cite journal|title=GPS TEC and scintillation measurements from the polar ionosphere during the October 2003 storm|last=Mitchell|first=Cathryn|date=June 2005|journal=Geophysical Research Letters|volume=32|issue=12|pages=n/a|doi=10.1029/2004GL021644|bibcode=2005GeoRL..3212S03M|doi-access=free}}
== References == {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Mitchell, Cathryn}} Category:Women earth scientists Category:British radio people Category:Amateur radio people Category:Alumni of Aberystwyth University Category:Academics of the University of Bath Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people