The Kirkcudbright Development Trust are delighted to announce the successful recruitment of Frances Coombey as the Manager for the new and much anticipated Dark Space Planetarium in Kirkcudbright.
Frances, who was a former Primary school pupil at The Johnston, is a University of Aberdeen Physiology graduate and Scottish STEM Ambassador who has many years’ experience working with the public and engaging people of all ages in science. She is enthusiastic about sharing her passion for science with others and making STEAM/STEM subjects more accessible to everyone.
Frances’ earliest memory of interacting with STEM was as a pupil on a Johnston Primary School trip to the ‘The Big Idea’ science centre in Irvine. She was only six years old at the time, but she can still clearly remember the buzz of excitement she felt on that day. She is absolutely delighted, twenty years on, to be appointed as Dark Space Planetarium Manager in the place responsible for kindling her love of science.
Frances’ early learning experiences, and those which followed throughout her education and career to date, have fostered in her a curiosity in science. A curiosity which ultimately contributed to her graduating from the University of Aberdeen with a First-Class Honours Degree in Physiology.
Frances said, “I am proud to be the manager the Dark Space Planetarium – it’s an attraction which values the importance of engaging people of all ages in space science in a fun and interactive way. It’s wonderful to be back in The Johnson as an adult and to be working with the team to bring this exciting attraction to the public. I’m looking forward to welcoming visitors to the Dark Space Planetarium and inspiring the next generation with an interest in the sciences, just as I was.”
