Leo J. Enright is an Irish

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

 radio broadcaster and news reporter. He is currently Chairman of the Irish Government

Irish Government

The Government of Ireland is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland.-Members of the Government:Membership of the Government is regulated fundamentally by the Constitution of Ireland. The Government is headed by a prime minister called the Taoiseach...

's science awareness programme, Discover Science & Engineering

Discover Science & Engineering

Discover Science & Engineering is an Irish Government initiative that aims to increase interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics among students, teachers and members of the public in Ireland....

. He is a member of the Board of Governors of the School of Cosmic Physicsat the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies

Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies

The Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies Dublin, Ireland was established in 1940 by the Taoiseach of the time, Éamon de Valera under the . The Institute consists of 3 schools: The , the and the . The directors of these schools are currently Professor Werner Nahm, Professor Luke Drury and...

. Leo Enright was born in London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, but considers Dublin his home town. He was educated at St. Fintan's High School, Sutton

Sutton, Dublin

Sutton is a residential suburb of Dublin's Northside, Ireland, at the base of Howth Head, the peninsula which forms the northern edge of Dublin Bay.-Location and geography:...

 and University College Dublin

University College Dublin

University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...

. As a Fellow of the World Press Institute, he studied American history, economics and culture at Macalester College

Macalester College

Macalester College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It was founded in 1874 as a Presbyterian-affiliated but nonsectarian college. Its first class entered September 15, 1885. The college is located on a campus in a historic residential neighborhood...

, in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Major achievements

In 1978, Enright won a Jacob's Award for his report on Dublin delinquents, broadcast on RTÉ Radio

RTÉ Radio 1

RTÉ Radio 1 is the principal radio channel of Irish public-service broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann and is the direct descendant of Dublin radio station 2RN, which began broadcasting on a regular basis on 1 January 1926...

's This Week programme.

In 2000, with support from NASA

NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...

's Astrobiology Institute

NASA Astrobiology Institute

The NASA Astrobiology Institute was established in 1998 by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration "to develop the field of astrobiology and provide a scientific framework for flight missions". The NAI is a virtual, distributed organization that integrates astrobiology research and...

, he completed the Workshop on Molecular Evolution at the Josephine Bay Paul Center for Comparative Molecular Biology and Evolution.

In 2008 he shared in a Thea Award for his work as science advisor on "Cosmos at the Castle", an interactive exhibition at Blackrock Castle Observatory

Blackrock Castle

Blackrock Castle, formerly Mahon Castle, is a 16th century castle located about 2km from the heart of Cork city on the banks of the River Lee. The "Cosmos at the Castle" project is a centre for scientific research, outreach and communication. The project is a joint venture between , and a private...

 exploring extreme life on earth and in space. The award was presented by the Themed Entertainment Association

Themed Entertainment Association

The Themed Entertainment Association is an international non-profit association that represents creators, developers, designers and producers of themed entertainment...

, a worldwide association of designers and producers of themed experiences such as museums, zoos and theme parks.