New Head of School for Physics

As an astroparticle physicist, Professor Céline Boehm has worked around the world, most recently as Chair of Physics at the Institute for Particle Physics Phenomenology at Durham University, in the UK, for seven years.

Professor Boehm has previously held academic positions in physics at the Laboratoire d'Annecy-le-Vieux de Physique Théorique in France, CERN in Switzerland, and Oxford University in the UK.

She completed her PhD in Theoretical Physics at the Ecole Normale Supérieure Paris in France, and her Master of Science at both Ecole Normale Supérieure and the University of Pierre and Marie Curie in Paris. In parallel, she completed a Master of Science in Engineering at the Ecole Polytechnique Féminine in France.

In recognition of her significant contributions to physics and demonstrated impact in her field, Professor Boehm was elected as a Fellow of the Institute of Physics in the UK in 2015.

She has been on the board of numerous national committees in the UK and France, including for the Institute of Physics in the UK, and the major funding body in France: Agence Nationale pour la Recherche. She has also been a grant proposal reviewer for funding bodies in Ireland, Spain, Chile, USA, Switzerland, UK and France.

Science communication is also an area that Professor Boehm has made significant contributions to including doing a TEDx talk at Durham University, speaking at Pint of Science in the UK, giving tours of the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, Switzerland, and running many public engagement science activities across Europe.

"I am really pleased to be leading the School of Physics at the University of Sydney, which has exceptional staff and research outputs," said Professor Boehm.

"I moved to Australia for this role, as it's an exciting opportunity to lead a group of passionate and ambitious physicists who are world leaders in their fields."

Professor Trevor Hambley, Dean of the Faculty of Science, said he looks forward to working with Professor Boehm as part of the faculty leadership team.

"Welcome to Professor Céline Boehm as our new Head of School in Physics. Her exceptional physics research, international research collaboration networks, and commitment to the communication of physics, mean she will make a positive contribution to the school and faculty," said Professor Hambley.

Professor Boehm replaces Professor Tim Bedding, who was Head of School from 2012 until March 2018.

Professor Trevor Hambley said, "We thank Professor Tim Bedding for his outstanding work as Head of School over the past six years. He demonstrated research excellence, great leadership, and is very well-liked by his colleagues."

"In particular, we thank Professor Bedding for his commitment to gender equity and diversity, and flexible working conditions for staff. After Professor Harry Messel, who was Head of School in Physics from 1952 to 1987, Professor Bedding is the second longest serving Head of School in Physics since the 1950s."