Physicist Named RAS President-Elect
Space physicist Professor Jim Wild has been elected as President-Elect of the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS).
Professor Wild will serve in the role for 12 months before succeeding current President Mike Lockwood following the conclusion of the latter’s two-year term in May 2026.
Professor Wild said: “I’m thrilled to have been appointed President-Elect. The RAS is a unique and respected organisation, able to speak with expertise and authority.
“At a time when the UK research and higher education sectors are facing considerable challenges, the Society has a vital role to play in communicating the contribution of astronomy and geophysics to the UK’s scientific and cultural landscape. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to engage with Council, the Society’s staff and the Fellows over the coming years.”
A passionate science communicator, Professor Wild has established himself as a popular speaker for public audiences, while also contributing to print and broadcast media. In 2018, his commitment to the communication of space and planetary research was recognised by the award of the RAS James Dungey Lectureship.
His research explores the physics of the natural space environment, as well as those behind the Northern Lights, the impact of space weather on human technology and the interaction between planetary magnetospheres and the interplanetary environment.
Professor Wild is a member of the UK’s Space Environment Impacts Expert Group, an independent committee of space weather experts that provides support and advice to the UK Met Office and Government Departments. He also previously chaired the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s Astronomy Grants Panel, between 2017-2019.
Professor Wild’s appointment was confirmed at the Annual General Meeting of the Society, which was founded in 1820 to encourages and promote the study of astronomy, solar-system science, geophysics and closely related branches of science.
The Society organises scientific meetings, publishes international research and review journals, recognises outstanding achievements by the award of medals and prizes, maintains an extensive library, supports education through grants and outreach activities and represents UK astronomy nationally and internationally. It has more than 4,000 members (Fellows), a third based overseas, including scientific researchers in universities, observatories and laboratories as well as historians of astronomy among others.
https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/news/lancaster-physicist-becomes-royal-astronomical-society-president-elect