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For immediate release Contacts:
Rolf-Peter Kudritzki, Director Dr. Douglas Simons Institute for Astronomy
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Maintained by LG
New Gemini Observatory Director is UH Graduate
The new director of the Gemini Observatory will be
Dr. Douglas A. Simons, an alumnus of the University of Hawaii. Gemini
operates two 8-meter telescopes, one on Mauna Kea and one in
Chile.
Dr. Simons will succeed Professor Jean-René Roy,
who has been the acting director since September 2005.
Dr. Simons received his Ph.D. from the University of Hawaii
Institute for Astronomy in 1990. In 1994, he joined the Gemini
Observatory, where has been overseeing its world-class instrument
development program. Dr. Rolf-Peter Kudritzki, director of
the UH Institute for Astronomy, remarked, "Hawaii can
be very proud that the Association of Universities for Research
in Astronomy, the organization that oversees the Gemini Observatory,
chose an astronomer who not only lives in Hawaii, but was trained
here as well. The IfA has built several advanced instruments
for the Gemini Telescope in the past few years, and we look
forward to working with Dr. Simons and maintaining this strong
collaboration."
Dr. Simons' wife, Judy, is also a graduate of the University
of Hawaii at Manoa and worked at the Institute for Astronomy
from 1986 to 1988.
For the AURA press release and a high-resolution image of
Dr. Simons:
http://www.aura-astronomy.org/nv/nuresult.asp?nuid=118
The Institute for Astronomy at the University of Hawaii conducts research into galaxies, cosmology, stars, planets, and the sun. Its faculty and staff are also involved in astronomy education, deep space missions, and in the development and management of the observatories on Haleakala and Mauna Kea.
Established in 1907 and fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, the University of Hawaii is the state's sole public system of higher education. The UH System provides an array of undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees and community programs on 10 campuses and through educational, training, and research centers across the state. UH enrolls more than 50,000 students from Hawaii, the U.S. mainland, and around the world.