Ken Potter (BA Astronomy 1949) celebrates his 99th birthday this month. Ken enrolled at IU after his discharge from the Army Air Corp. His experiences in the military, particularly training in celestial navigation, let to his interest in studying astronomy.
IU Alumni Vesto Melvin Slipher (B.A. 1901, M.A. 1903, Ph.D. 1909) and his brother Earl Carl Slipher (B.A. 1906) have been inducted into the Frankfort High School Hot Dog Hall of Fame for their contributions to astronomy (http://frankforteducationfoundation.org/hall-of-fame/ ).
Congratulations to Aaron Boley (Ph.D 2007), co-author with Michael Byers of the new book “Who Owns Outer Space,” published by the Cambride Univesity Press. This critically acclaimed book takes the reader through the science, law, and policy challenges raised by the rapid development of space activities.
IU Alumnus Mike Weasner (BS, 1970) has recently published a review of Aaron Linsdau's Indiana Total Eclipse Guide https://myscienceshop.com/product/book/81755, a guidebook for seeing the 2024 total eclipse in the Hoosier State. Mike's review is available at http://www.weasner.com/co/Reviews/2023/TSE_Guide_Indiana/index.html.
Congratulations to IU alumna Madeline Shepley (BS, 2020). Madeline earned a Master’s degree in Physics at Ball State University this spring, and is headed to Olivet Nazarene University in Illinois, where she will teach astronomy and physics and direct the planetarium.
We recently heard from one of our recent alumni, Jennifer Sieben (Ph.D. 2022), on her good news of securing a job with Physics Today.
One of our favorite Indiana Hoosiers, John Reynolds, passed away in December.
Many of our alumni likely remember the hyperbolic comet Kohoutek, which got a lot of attention back in the mid-1970’s, 50 years ago. Kohoutek (aka C/1973 E1) was predicted to be very bright near perihelion, but like so many others, never quite reached its full potential.
Congratulations to Catharine Garmany (B.S. Astrophysics, 1966) on her election as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Katy is a Scientist Emerita at NSF’s NOIRLab and was elected for “distinguished contribution to the study of massive stars, and exemplary astronomical outreach to underserved communities.” She is one of 11 astronomers honored in 2022 by the AAAS.
We recently heard from one of our recent alumni, Madison Smith (Ph.D. 2022), on her good news of landing a job with the Environmental Lab at the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC).
On Sept. 20th the asteroid Didymos was predicted to occult a star. The resulting shadow would trace a path across the Earth and was predicted to be visible in a very narrow slice of the United Arab Emirates and Oman.
Astronomy alumnus Jude Gussman (BS 2022) presented the student perspective at the Luddy School’s Commencement ceremony.
IU alumnus Zack Maas (Ph.D. 2020) has joined the IU Astronomy Department as the new Visiting Assistant Professor
IU alumnus William Bowman (B.S. 2014) has successfully defended his Ph.D. dissertation at Penn State University, studying with Dr. Robin Ciardullo and Dr. Joel Leja.
Congratulations to alumnus Bryce Cousins (B.S. 2019), who is receiving a 2022 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship beginning this fall.
The College of Arts