Professor Robert C. Kennicutt, Jr.
Professor Robert Kennicutt, Jr, is Plumian Professor of Astronomy at the University of Cambridge, having previously held posts at the Universities of Arizona, and Minnesota. His primary interest in the heavens is to do with star formation, and the role of evolutionary development in galaxies themselves. He is the co-author of the Kennicutt-Schmidt law, which helped us in our understanding of the relation between gas density and star formation. A fellow of both the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Royal Society, he has won several notable awards for his work, including (in 2007) the Dannie Heineman Prize for Astrophysics, and (in 2009) the Gruber Prize in Cosmology.
1. What was your biggest career break?
Being offered the Plumian Professorship in Cambridge 10 years ago.
It opened up a new chapter in my career and in my life, and introduced me to a wonderful university and country.
2. Have you had a notable mentor – and if so what was it about them that was so inspiring?
My PhD supervisor was Professor Paul Hodge at the University of Washington. He was a splendid mentor, giving me plenty of room to grow as an independent researcher, and he showed me that you could be an eminent scientist and a warm and generous individual as well.
3. What one piece of advice would you give to the 20-year-old you?
Work hard but also make time for family, friends, and fun. A singleminded devotion to work may get you ahead over the short term, but a balanced life is an important key to success over the long run.
4. What qualities do you most value in people with whom you work?
Dedication, resolve, honesty, and an ability to listen, adapt, and learn from mistakes.
5. Who do you admire and why?
I guess my biggest hero was my father, Robert Sr. He worked his way up from being a high-school dropout in a factory to an industrial engineer when he retired, and gave his all to his three sons. You could not ask for a better role model, even if I didn't always appreciate that at the time.
6. What does the future of astronomy look like, to you?
The future has never been more exciting! From unraveling the mysteries of the creation of the Universe, discovering Earth-like planets around other stars, to landing robots on comets, the pace of discovery has never been greater.
7. If you hadn’t lived a life in astronomy, what would you have done instead?
That is a difficult question for me to answer, because I have wanted to be an astronomer for nearly as long as I can remember. I love the outdoors and collecting rocks and minerals, so perhaps I would have become a field geologist instead.
8. What is your biggest extravagance?
I don't really go for extravagances any longer, but I do love to travel, to anywhere; from vibrant cities like Paris, to desolate outdoor spaces back in the U.S.
9. Who would you invite to your dream dinner party and why? (you caninvite three people – they must be alive)
The choices abound, but I would love to invite my filmwriter/nurse daughter Laura to dinner with one of her film director idols, for example Martin Scorcese, along with Clint Eastwood, another director who was my father's idol. Laura would take care of the conversation and I would just sit back and keep the wine glasses full.
10. What do you do to relax away from work?
Fifteen years living in Arizona left me with a love of the outdoors, so that's where I go to relax, whether it is along the River Cam here or rock hunting in the wide open spaces of the American west.
11. If you could change one thing about Britain today, what would it be?
I wish someone could find a cure for the toxic culture in the mass media, the tabloid press in particular. The venom is entirely unlike the wonderful people in this country, but it is the lens through which the rest of the world sees us.
12. What would your last meal be? (you can choose a starter, a main course and a pudding)
Scottish smoked salmon to start, followed by a grilled American Delmonico steak, finishing with a bowl of Buontalenti Gelato from Florence.
