{{short description|British astrophysicist}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox person | name = Jen Gupta | image = Jen Gupta 1.jpg | birth_name = Jennifer Ann Gupta | alma_mater = University of Manchester | organization = University of Portsmouth | known_for = {{Plainlist| * Science communication * Active galactic nuclei }} | website = {{Official URL}} }}

'''Jennifer Ann Gupta''', known as '''Jen''', is an astrophysicist and science communicator based at the University of Portsmouth. She has presented on ''Tomorrow's World'' on the BBC.

== Education == Gupta grew up in Winchester and completed her A-Levels at Peters Symonds Sixth Form College.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://jengupta.com/about-me/|title=About Me|date=2014-08-29|work=Dr Jen Gupta|access-date=2018-02-13|language=en-US}}</ref> She completed her master's degree at the University of Manchester, before beginning a PhD at the university's Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.sepnet.ac.uk/about-sepnet/outreach-officers/|title=Outreach Officers - SEPnet|work=SEPnet|access-date=2018-02-13|language=en-GB|archive-date=17 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191217075722/http://www.sepnet.ac.uk/about-sepnet/outreach-officers/|url-status=dead}}</ref> She earned her PhD "Multiwavelength Studies of Radio-loud Active Galactic Nuclei in the Fermi Era" in 2012.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.escholar.manchester.ac.uk/jrul/item/?pid=uk-ac-man-scw:170139|title=Multiwavelength Studies of Radio-loud Active Galactic Nuclei in the Fermi Era|last=Ann|first=Gupta, Jennifer|date=2012-09-17|website=www.escholar.manchester.ac.uk|language=en|access-date=2018-02-13|archive-date=24 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724013130/https://www.escholar.manchester.ac.uk/jrul/item/?pid=uk-ac-man-scw:170139|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Career == [[File:Jen Gupta 7.jpg|thumb|left|Jen interviewing Brian Cox on The Jodcast]] Gupta began science communication during her PhD, taking a major role in ''The Jodcast''<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.jodcast.net/archive/ |title=Jodcast archive |website=jodcast.net|language=en-GB|access-date=2018-02-20}}</ref> and performing astronomy-inspired stand-up comedy on stage at Bright Club, in Manchester<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.manchesterbeacon.org/events/view/171/Bright-Club-Manchester-4---Family|title=Bright Club Manchester 4 - Family|website=Manchester Beacon|language=en-GB|access-date=2018-02-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180220212230/https://www.manchesterbeacon.org/events/view/171/Bright-Club-Manchester-4---Family|archive-date=2018-02-20|url-status=dead}}</ref> and at London's Bloomsbury Theatre.<ref>{{Citation|last=Jennifer Gupta|title=Bright Club Stars: Jen Gupta|date=2011-11-22|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNZL-tRfS7A|accessdate=2018-02-13}}</ref> That year she completed a daylong road trip to see the seven MERLIN telescopes in a day.<ref>{{Citation|last=jodcast|title=The e-MERLIN Roadtrip|date=2011-11-10|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBErgbWwj70|accessdate=2018-02-13}}</ref> Gupta is involved with the training of UK-based physics teachers.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thetrainingpartnership.org.uk/study-day/physics-in-action-16/|title=Physics in Action - The Training Partnership|work=The Training Partnership|access-date=2018-02-13|language=en-US|archive-date=14 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180214215722/http://www.thetrainingpartnership.org.uk/study-day/physics-in-action-16/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ogdentrust.com/university-outreach/science-officers/994-dr-jen-gupta|title=Ogden Science Officers|website=www.ogdentrust.com|language=en|access-date=2018-02-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180214073656/http://www.ogdentrust.com/university-outreach/science-officers/994-dr-jen-gupta|archive-date=2018-02-14|url-status=dead}}</ref> She has the co-hosted a number of episodes of the BBC's ''Tomorrow's World''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/e54wxj/live/cghp5v|title=Tomorrow's World: Me and My Robot|website=BBC|language=en-GB|access-date=2018-02-20}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05dmgmj|title=Tomorrow's World Live - Move to Mars|website=BBC|language=en-GB|access-date=2018-02-20}}</ref>

In 2016 she featured in a series of portraits commissioned by the Royal Astronomical Society celebrating leading women in astronomy.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uopnews.port.ac.uk/2016/02/02/portsmouth-astrophysicist-features-in-leading-women-portraits/|title=Portsmouth astrophysicist features in leading women portraits {{!}} UoP News|website=uopnews.port.ac.uk|language=en-US|access-date=2018-02-13|archive-date=14 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190414000602/https://uopnews.port.ac.uk/2016/02/02/portsmouth-astrophysicist-features-in-leading-women-portraits/|url-status=dead}}</ref> That year, she gave an invited talk at the Royal Institution "The invisible night sky".<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.rigb.org/whats-on/events-2016/april/public-the-invisible-night-sky|title=The invisible night sky|access-date=2018-02-13|language=en|archive-date=14 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190414000600/https://www.rigb.org/whats-on/events-2016/april/public-the-invisible-night-sky|url-status=dead}}</ref> She delivers regular talks at astronomical societies around the South East of England.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.andoverastronomy.org.uk/|title=Andover Astronomical Society|website=www.andoverastronomy.org.uk|access-date=2018-02-13}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://jengupta.com/public-talks-and-events/events/|title=Events|date=2014-10-02|work=Dr Jen Gupta|access-date=2018-02-13|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://cafescientifique.onthewight.com/dr-jennifer-gupta-radio-astronomy-quasars-and-black-holes/|title=Dr Jennifer Gupta: Radio Astronomy, Quasars and Black Holes|date=2015-09-24|work=Isle of Wight Cafe Scientifique|access-date=2018-02-13|language=en-US}}</ref> In 2015 she hosted Stargazing Live from the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/stargazing-live-2015-at-portsmouth-historic-dockyard-tickets-15895293250?aff=jg|title=Stargazing Live 2015 at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard|website=Eventbrite|language=en-GB|access-date=2018-02-13|archive-date=14 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190414000601/https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/stargazing-live-2015-at-portsmouth-historic-dockyard-tickets-15895293250?aff=jg|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Alongside public talks about astronomy, Gupta is interested in science comedy.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tickettext.co.uk/aeoud/an-evening-of-unnecessary-detail-29032016/|title=An Evening Of Unnecessary Detail at Backyard Comedy Club|website=www.tickettext.co.uk|language=en|access-date=2018-02-13}}</ref> That year she hosted BAHFest, a celebration of well-argued but incorrect scientific theory.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/bahfest-london-tickets-20068251681#|title=BAHFest London|website=Eventbrite|language=en-GB|access-date=2018-02-13}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|last=BAHFest|title=BAHFest London - Big Science - Jen Gupta: Fixing the World|date=2016-05-17|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqK6mAJqSSQ|accessdate=2018-02-13}}</ref> Gupta is the founder and co-host of the Astronomy podcast ''Seldom Sirius.''<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://seldomsirius.net/|title=Seldom Sirius Podcast|website=seldomsirius.net|access-date=2018-02-13}}</ref>

In 2011 she won I'm a Scientist, Get me out of here!<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://about.imascientist.org.uk/2017/what-jennifer-gupta-did-with-her-prize-money/|title=What Jennifer Gupta did with her prize money… - About I'm a Scientist, Get me out of here|date=2017-01-25|work=About I'm a Scientist, Get me out of here|access-date=2018-02-13|language=en-US}}</ref> Gupta joined the Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation at the University of Portsmouth in 2012. She is responsible for outreach, public engagement and evaluation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.icg.port.ac.uk/author/guptaj/|title=Jen Gupta|website=www.icg.port.ac.uk|language=en-US|access-date=2018-02-13}}</ref> Gupta typically works with 10,000 school children and members of the public each year.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://astrotweeps.wordpress.com/2016/07/04/introducing-jen-gupta/|title=Introducing Jen Gupta|date=2016-07-04|work=astrotweeps|access-date=2018-02-13|language=en-US}}</ref>

== References == {{Reflist}}

== External links ==

{{Commons category}}

* {{Official website}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gupta, Jen}} Category:British women astrophysicists Category:Living people Category:British astrophysicists Category:21st-century British astronomers Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:Mass media people from Winchester Category:Alumni of the University of Manchester Category:Academics of the University of Portsmouth Category:Scientists from Winchester