Jane Rigby

Jane Rigby was born and raised in Seaford, Delaware. Both of her parents were teachers, and she has one sister. After attending a talk by Sally Ride, when she was about twelve years old, she wanted to become an astronaut, Rigby moved to the University of Arizona for graduate studies in 2000, where she was a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow and received a master's degree in 2003. She received a PhD from the same institution in 2006, under the supervision of George H. Rieke. Rigby was then appointed as a postdoctoral fellow at the Carnegie Observatories in California. There, she met another graduate student in astronomy, Leistra died in 2025. == Career ==

with Jane Rigby and the James Webb Space Telescope Rigby has authored over 150 papers. Rigby is also responsible for TEMPLATES (Targeting Extremely Magnified Panchromatic Lensed Arcs and Their Extended Star Formation), a project that images gravitationally lensed galaxies. She announced this project's discovery of hydrocarbons in a galaxy over twelve billion light years away in June 2023. In this position, she managed the scientific goals of the telescope. in recognition of her work on JWST In her hometown, the Seaford Museum planned an exhibit about JWST for the following summer. Outreach and work for inclusivity in 2024 Rigby has worked to engage the public with science. She has frequently made public appearances wearing JWST-themed accessories. Writing for Science News, Lisa Grossman said, "Rigby's palpable joy in discussing the success of the JWST ... has made her one of the public faces of the telescope." Rigby spoke to the publication about her popularity, "I understand the desire to humanize something that can seem really big and impersonal. But I don’t like the singling out. I try to reflect it back to the team." Rigby has worked on supporting inclusivity in the field, including co-organizing conferences and writing a white paper about the subject. Rigby was a founding member of the American Astronomical Society Committee for Sexual-Orientation and Gender Minorities in Astronomy (originally the Working Group on LGBTQ Equality) in January 2012, and later served as the committee's Board Liaison. Rigby has said that her experience as a queer person has made her a better astronomer by influencing her leadership skills and thoughts toward community impact. == Awards and honors ==

in 2024 • 2013 Eberly College of Science Outstanding Alumni Award • 2013 NASA Robert H. Goddard Award for Exceptional Achievement for Science • 2018 John C. Lindsay Memorial Award for Space Science • 2021 ''Nature's 10'' Ones to Watch in 2022 • 2022 Out to Innovate LGBTQ+ Scientist of the Year • 2022 BBC 100 Women == References ==