Merieme Chadid ( ar, مريم شديد; born 11 October 1969 in Casablanca) is a Moroccan- French

astronomer An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses their studies on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. They observe astronomical objects such as stars, planets, moons, comets and galaxies – in either ...

explorer Exploration refers to the historical practice of discovering remote lands. It is studied by geographers and historians. Two major eras of exploration occurred in human history: one of convergence, and one of divergence. The first, covering most ...

and astrophysicist. She leads international polar scientific programs and has been committed to installing a major astronomical observatory at the heart of Antarctica.

Education and early life

Chadid was born October 11, 1969, in Casablanca to a Moroccan family. Her father and mother were a blacksmith and a housewife respectively. She was one of seven children. At 12 years old, she discovered her love of

astronomy Astronomy () is a natural science that studies celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and evolution. Objects of interest include planets, moons, stars, nebulae, g ...

from a Johannes Kepler book gifted to her by her brother. In 1992, Chadid graduated from the University of Hassan II Casablanca with a master's degree in Physics and Mathematics. In 1993, she graduated from the

University of Nice Sophia Antipolis The University of Nice Sophia Antipolis (french: Université Nice Sophia Antipolis) was a university located in Nice, France and neighboring areas. It was founded in 1965 and was organized in eight faculties, two autonomous institutes and an eng ...

with a

Master of Advanced Studies A Master of Advanced Studies or Master of Advanced Study (MAS, M.A.S., or MASt) is a postgraduate degree awarded in various countries. Master of Advanced Studies programs may be non-consecutive programs tailored for "specific groups of working pro ...

and three years later earned her PhD in

Astronomy Astronomy () is a natural science that studies celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and evolution. Objects of interest include planets, moons, stars, nebulae, g ...

and

Space Space is the boundless three-dimensional extent in which objects and events have relative position and direction. In classical physics, physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually cons ...

from the

Paul Sabatier University Paul Sabatier University (''Université Paul Sabatier'', UPS, also known as Toulouse III) is a French public university, in the Academy of Toulouse. It is one of the several successor universities of the University of Toulouse. Toulouse III was ...

from her research detecting hypersonic shock waves in pulsating stars and explaining their origin. She also obtained the highest university qualification degree Habilitation HDR, a second PhD, at the

University of Nice Sophia-Antipolis A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

. Chadid completed several executive education programs at

John F. Kennedy School of Government The Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), officially the John F. Kennedy School of Government, is the school of public policy and government of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school offers master's degrees in public policy, public ...

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

as well.

Career

Merieme Chadid joined the

Centre national de la recherche scientifique The French National Centre for Scientific Research (french: link=no, Centre national de la recherche scientifique, CNRS) is the French state research organisation and is the largest fundamental science agency in Europe. In 2016, it employed 31,63 ...

and then the European Southern Observatory soon after earning her PhD. She worked on European Southern Observatory for the installation of The

Very Large Telescope The Very Large Telescope (VLT) is a telescope facility operated by the European Southern Observatory on Cerro Paranal in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile. It consists of four individual telescopes, each with a primary mirror 8.2 m acro ...

, the largest telescope in the world at the time, in the

Atacama Desert The Atacama Desert ( es, Desierto de Atacama) is a desert plateau in South America covering a 1,600 km (990 mi) strip of land on the Pacific coast, west of the Andes Mountains. The Atacama Desert is the driest nonpolar desert in th ...

in northern

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

. She works as an astronomer in the French public university system. Chadid is Vice President of the

International Astronomical Union The International Astronomical Union (IAU; french: link=yes, Union astronomique internationale, UAI) is a nongovernmental organisation with the objective of advancing astronomy in all aspects, including promoting astronomical research, outreac ...

since 2021., Division G, Stars and Stellar Physics and a steering committee member of the

. Chadid became the first Moroccan as well as the first female French astronomer to reach the heart of

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest cont ...

, and the first to plant an Arab and an African flag (the Moroccan flag) in Antarctica in 2005 when she achieved her first polar expedition to set up a new observatory. Of her many achievements, her most treasured accomplishment has been her work under extreme conditions in the heart of Antarctica, one of the highest, coldest, most deserted and inaccessible places in the world. She is considered the world's first astronomer to be committed to installing the large astronomical observatory in Antarctica, where she has carried out pioneering work. In interviews, she has compared the installation of the observatory to a space mission, an area characterized by only a thin layer of

turbulence In fluid dynamics, turbulence or turbulent flow is fluid motion characterized by chaotic changes in pressure and flow velocity. It is in contrast to a laminar flow, which occurs when a fluid flows in parallel layers, with no disruption between ...

, making it easier to observe faraway objects than observatories in other parts of the world. As night continues for several months of the year, researchers at the Antarctica stations have the advantage of being able to study the stars 24/7. Chadid promotes education by giving lectures, attending conferences, supervising students, and her documentary on astronomy, ''Tarik Annujah'', has played on the

Al Jazeera Al Jazeera ( ar, الجزيرة, translit-std=DIN, translit=al-jazīrah, , "The Island") is a state-owned Arabic-language international radio and TV broadcaster of Qatar. It is based in Doha and operated by the media conglomerate Al Jazeera ...

Children's Channel. Her most published research aims to understand and decipher early star formation and the stellar evolution and pulsation towards of understanding of the Universe. She was listed by ''Forbes'' magazine as one of the thirty most interesting and fascinating workers in the world.

Personal life

Merieme Chadid has been married to Jean Vernin, Director of Research of

Centre National de Recherche Scientifique The French National Centre for Scientific Research (french: link=no, Centre national de la recherche scientifique, CNRS) is the French state research organisation and is the largest fundamental science agency in Europe. In 2016, it employed 31,63 ...

, since 31 March 2001 and has two children, France Leyla Vernin and Felix Tycho Vernin.

Major achievements

Young Global Leader Forum of Young Global Leaders, or Young Global Leaders (YGL), was created by Klaus Schwab, founder of the World Economic Forum. The YGL, a non-profit organization managed from Geneva, Switzerland, is under the supervision of the Swiss government ...

at the

World Economic Forum The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental and lobbying organisation based in Cologny, canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German engineer and economist Klaus Schwab. The foundation, ...

(2008) * Arab Woman of the Year Award for Achievement in Science by

Regent's University London Regent's University London (formerly Regent's College) is a private university located in London, England. It is part of Galileo Global Education, Europe’s largest higher education provider. Regent's University London was established in 1984 ...

(2015) (first group to be recognized) * Officer of the

Order of Ouissam Alaouite Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...

bestowed by His Majesty The

King of Morocco This is the list of rulers of Morocco, since the establishment of the state in 789. The common and formal titles of these rulers has varied, depending on the time period. Since 1957, the designation King has been used. The present King of Moroc ...

in 2013

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chadid, Merieme 1969 births Women astronomers Moroccan scientists Moroccan explorers French explorers People from Casablanca Living people French astronomers Moroccan astronomers Female explorers Antarctic scientists French scientists French Antarctic scientists Women Antarctic scientists 21st-century women scientists University of Hassan II Casablanca alumni Côte d'Azur University alumni Paul Sabatier University alumni

Education and early life

Career

Personal life

Major achievements

See also

References