Kathryn Denning

York University, IAA SETI Committee • Associate Professor, IAA Associate Member

Kathryn Denning is a Canadian anthropologist/archaeologist and longtime IAA SETI Committee member, and Associate Professor at York University. After early research focusing on the public understanding of archaeology and archaeological ethics, Denning’s work turned primarily to outer space. Since 2005, she has been active in numerous projects at the intersection of society and the search for life beyond Earth (biosignatures and technosignatures), with a recent emphasis on post-detection protocols and policy. Denning was one of four members of the IAA SETI Committee’s Task Group who produced the new “SETI Protocols”, i.e. the new Declaration of Principles Concerning the Conduct of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) – 2026 Update, approved in 2026 by the IAA SETI Committee and by the IAA, which supersedes the previous Declarations of 1989 and 2010. In addition to Denning, the Task Group who worked together from 2022-2026 includes three IAA Full Members: astronomer Michael Garrett (IAA SETI Committee Chair), science communication researcher Carol Oliver (IAA SETI Committee Co-Chair), and space lawyer Leslie I. Tennen (IAA SETI Committee member and IAA legal counsel).

Events

International Astronautical Congress 2026

5 - 9 October 2026

Antalya, Türkiye

Participation: