Virginia Kilborn is a professor and radio astronomer with the Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing at Swinburne University and is Swinburne's first Chief Scientist. She researches galaxy evolution by studying their gas content and is working on the surveys of the next generation of radio telescopes, including the Australian SKA Pathfinder.[1]
Kilborn peered through her first telescope in 1986 to watch Halley’s Comet, a once in 75 year event.[2]
Kilborn then undertook a ARC-CSIRO linkage fellowship at Swinburne’s Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing (CAS) in Melbourne in 2003. She began teaching the Swinburne Astronomy online program in 2006, lecturing in undergraduate Astronomy. She became Deputy Director from 2011–2013 and Acting Director for CAS in 2013.[1] In 2015 Kilborn became Chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy before becoming Dean of Science in 2019,[2] remaining in that role until her appointment as Swinburne's first Chief Scientist in May 2021.[4]
Kilborn also leads many gender equity initiatives. She is chair of the CAS equity committee and a leader of university-wide programs to promote academic women and their careers.[1][7]
Awards and recognition
Honorary Fellow, Astronomical Society of Australia, 2022[7]
Vice-Chancellors Award for Culture and Values, Swinburne, 2015
Vice-Chancellors Teaching Award (team SAO), Swinburne, 2012
National, OLT Citation for Outstanding contributions to student learning, SAO core team, Swinburne, 2012
Vice-Chancellors Early Career Research Award, Swinburne 2006[1]
