Professional career & CV

FULL CV

Read or download the full CV : https://sites.lesia.obspm.fr/pierre-lena/files/2026/03/CV_Pierre_Lena_2026.pdf

EDUCATION  

Lycée Janson-de-Sailly, Paris (1948-1956)

École normale supérieure, Paris (1956-1960)

Agrégation de sciences physiques (1960)

Doctorat d’État en physique, Sorbonne, Paris (1969)

Research on the continuous radiation of the Sun between 1.5 and 500 micrometers“, directed by Jean-Claude Pecker

POSITIONS 

2004-present: Emeritus Professor, Observatoire de Paris & Université Paris-Cité

1973-2004:      Full Professor, Université Paris-Diderot (Paris 7, today Paris-Cité)

1975-1976:      Visiting Scientist, Kitt Peak National Observatory (Tucson, Arizona, USA

1972-1973:      Assistant Professor, Université Paris 7

1970-1971:      Assistant Professor, Sorbonne (Orsay Center)

1969-1970:      Lecturer (Astrophysics), Sorbonne, Paris

1968-1969:      Maître-Assistant, Sorbonne (Orsay Center)

1966-1968:      Research Associate, Kitt Peak National Observatory (Arizona, USA), then Visiting Scientist, High Altitude Observatory (Boulder, Colorado, USA)

1960-1965:      Maître-Assistant, Sorbonne (Orsay Center)

ACADEMIES

2005: Member, Academia Europaea

2001: Member, Pontifical Academy of Sciences, The Vatican

1991: Member, Académie des sciences, France

Foreign Member of:

the Royal Society of Sciences (Liège, Belgium), the Academia de Educacion (Argentina), the National Academy of Exact, Physical, and Natural Sciences (Argentina), the Academy of Physical, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences (Venezuela), the Academia Chilena de Ciencias (Chile), the National Academy of educational sciences of Ukraine (Kyiv), the Serbian academy of sciences and arts (Serbia)

PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

TEACHING & SUPPORT TO EDUCATION

2018-2022:      Founder & President, Office for Climate Education (OCE), Paris,

                        then 2022-present: Honorary President

2010-2014:      Co-Founder & President, Fondation La main à la pâte, Paris, then 2022-present: Honorary President

2005-2011:      Delegate for Education and Training, Académie des sciences, Paris

1991-1997:      President, INRP (National Institute of Educational Research), Paris

1996-2004:      Head (with some breaks), Graduate School “Astronomie & Astrophysique d’Ile-de-France” (Université Paris VII, then Observatoire de Paris)

1976-1996:      Head, DEA “Astrophysique & Techniques spatiales” (Graduate studies), Univ. Paris 7

1986-1994 :     Professor, Magistère interuniversitaire, École Normale Supérieure, Paris

OTHER PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

POLICIES in EDUCATION, ASTRONOMY & PHYSICS

2004-2010: Member, Fachbeirat, Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (Heidelberg) &  Max Planck           Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Garching (Germany)

2003-2007: President, Ethics Committee for Science, CNRS, Paris

2005-2010: Chair, Global Education Council, InterAcademy Partnership (IAP), Trieste (Italy)

2002-2007: Vice-President, Association Bernard-Gregory, Paris

1994-1998: Head, National Research Program Haute résolution angulaire en astrophysique,

CNRS/INSU

1991-1993: Member, Scientific Council, Observatoire de Paris

1989-1993: Chair, Committee for PhDs’ support (Natural Environments), Research Ministry, Paris

1986-1993: Member, Committee of Major Research Facilities, Research Ministry, Paris

1989-1992: Member, Editorial Board, Astronomy & Astrophysics Review

1989-1990: Member, French UNESCO National Commission, Paris

1989-1990: President, French Physical Society (Vice-President in 1988 and 1990)

1988-1992: Member, Scientific Council, CNRS, Paris

1987-1990: Member, “World Development in Astronomy” Working group, International

Astronomical Union

1987-1991: Member, Council, French Society of Astronomy Specialists (SF2A), Paris

1986-1993: Scientific representative of France, Council of the European Southern

           Observatory, Garching (Germany)

1986-1990: President, French European Southern Observatory Committee, Ministry of Foreign

Affairs, Paris

1986-1989: President, Committee for the Selection of Cooperants (VSNA), Institut national

d’astronomie et de géophysique (INAG/CNRS), Paris

1986-1988 and 1992-1994: Inter-University Degree in Physics, École Normale Supérieure

1984-1988: Member, Fachbeirat, Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy (Bonn, Germany)

1984-1987: Chairman, Interferometry Working Group, European Southern Observatory, Garching

(Germany)

1983-1986: Member, VLT Advisory Committee, European Southern Observatory, Garching

(Germany)

1981-1986: Advisor, Mission de la recherche, Ministère de l’éducation nationale, Paris

1981-1986: Member, Scientific Programs Committee, Centre national d’études spatiales (CNES),

Paris

1980-1986: Member, National Committee for Universe Sciences, Section (7,18), CNRS, Paris

1978-1984: Member, Council, Institut national d’astronomie et de géophysique (INAG/CNRS), Paris

1978-1983: Member, Council of Observatories and Institutes of Earth Physics, Ministère de

l’éducation nationale, Paris

1977-1982: President, then Member, Scientific & Technical Committee, European

           Southern Observatory, Garching, (Germany)

1976-1980: Member, Astronomy Working Group, European Space Agency, Paris

1975-1977: Member, University Advisory Committee & 1992-1996: National Council of

           Universities (CNU), Paris

1973-1975: Member, Space Shuttle Management Working Group, European Space

           Agency & NASA, Paris & Washington D.C.

 

PUBLIC OUTREACH OF SCIENCE

2000-2005: Scientific Committee, Fondation des Treilles, Tourtour (Var, France)

1996-2015: Member, Editorial Committee of “Science au Present” yearly encyclopedia, Encyclopedia

         Universalis, Paris

1992-1995: Member, Advisory Program Committee, ARTE France-Germany Television channel,

         Strasbourg

1989-1993: Member, Scientific Committee, Science magazine La Recherche, Paris

1978-1984:  Member, Scientific Committee design of the Cité des sciences, then Scientific advisor, Public Establishment La Villette/Cité des sciences et de l’industrie, Paris