Kelly Blumenthal
International Astronomical Union Office for Astronomy Outreach
Deputy Director
Japan
Kelly Blumenthal holds both a PhD in astrophysics from the Institute for Astronomy at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa and an EdM in education policy and management from Harvard's Graduate School of Education. Throughout most of her career, Kelly has worked on projects focused on developing inclusive and equitable programs to engage a large sample of the population. As the Deputy Director of the International Astronomical Union Office for Astronomy Outreach (IAU OAO) at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Kelly has the opportunity to continue their work on the international stage through the Communicating Astronomy with the Public Triptych (conference, journal, and training), the IAU OAO's Global Outreach Projects and Special Programmes, and the strategic partnerships they manage. Kelly has additionally lectured on cultural, ethno-, and archaeoastronomy, mentored students in astronomy and science communication, lead institution-wide discussions on inclusivity, equity, and justice, and written multidisciplinary curricula for physics classrooms.