The IAU Astronomy Outreach, Development and Education (ODE) Prizes have been created with generous funding from IAU Past President Ewine van Dishoeck. The three awards recognise individuals and organisations who have made outstanding contributions to the fields of astronomy outreach, development and education. The OAD is pleased to share that the 2024 prize winners are part of the OAD community. The winners as announced are:
Outreach Prize: Congratulations to our colleague from Thailand, Saran Poshyachinda, for winning the Outreach prize. The IAU award recognizes “his vision and passionate leadership in creating a world-leading outreach and education program in Thailand. His noteworthy achievement is the establishment of the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) in 2009 and the formation and expansion of the NARIT outreach team.” Congratulations to NARIT and our SEA-ROAD colleagues.
Education Prize: Congratulations to Bonaventure Okere and Linda Strubbe for winning the Education prize! The IAU recognizes their leadership in creating the Pan African School for Emerging Astronomers (PASEA) and their contributions to “creating high-quality educational experiences in astronomy for African university students.” Congratulations to PASEA!
Development Prize: Finally, the Development prize goes to Cenca Bridge. The Central American Caribbean Bridge in Astrophysics (Cenca Bridge) program, funded by the OAD and co-led by Antonio Porras Valverde, Gloria Fonseca Alvarez, Valeria Hurtado, and Yahira Mendoza Moncada, has had a “unique and transformative impact on the ability of undergraduate students in the Central America-Caribbean region to engage in astronomical research and capacity building using astronomy.”
It’s inspiring to see the global impact of our community.