Mike Gore (physicist)

Professor Michael Miles "Mike" Gore AO (born in Bolton, Lancashire, UK) is an engineer, physicist, and science explainer, based at the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia.

Education

Gore obtained a PhD in electrical engineering at Leeds University in the 1950s.^[1] He had earlier had a BSc Hons (Electrical Engineering).^[2]

Professional career

Gore had a post in 1962 as a lecturer in physics at the Australian National University in Canberra.^[2] He later became a Professor, and in 1987 left the ANU and was later styled Professor Emeritus. As at early 2015, Gore was a Sessional Lecturer at the ANU, based at the Centre for the Public Awareness of Science.^[2]

Explaining science

Gore established Questacon, the national science centre, in Canberra in 1980, originally in the recently shuttered, historic Ainslie Public School (built 1927). He was inspired by visiting the Exploratorium in San Francisco in 1976. Questacon moved to the permanent building on Lake Burley Griffin in 1988, after Gore left academia in 1987 to become the foundation director of Questacon - The National Science and Technology Centre.^[1][2][3] He retired back to academia in 1999.

Gore was a scientific advisor to the ABC television series "Towards 2000".

Gore established the ANU's Centre for the Public Awareness of Science (CPAS) in 1995.^[1]

Honours

• 1982
  • 'Canberran of the Year'
  • Churchill Fellowship
• 1986
  • Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in recognition of service to scientific education.^[4]
• 1992
  • Eureka Prize - Gore and Questacon
• 2001
  • Award for Outstanding Service to Physics in Australia (Australian Institute of Physics)^[5]
• 2006
  • Academy Medal, Australian Academy of Science^[6]
• 2015
  • Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for distinguished service to science through a range of public outreach, communication and education initiatives on a national and international level, and as a mentor and role model for young scientists.^[7]

Bibliography

An incomplete bibliography includes:

• Gore, MM. Interactive Science and Technology Centres. In: National Engineering Conference (1990 : Canberra, A.C.T.). 1990 National Engineering Conference of the Institution of Engineers, Australia: Government, Engineering and the Nation; Barton, ACT: Institution of Engineers, Australia, 1990: 92-96. National conference publication (Institution of Engineers, Australia); no. 90/1
• S.M. Stocklmayer, Michael M. Gore, C.R. Bryant (editors): Science Communication in Theory and Practice; Springer Science & Business Media, 31 Dec 2001, 284 pages.

References