Podcaster: Rob Sparks & Dr. Beth Willman
Title: The Launch of NSF’s National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory
Organization: National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory
Links: https://nationalastro.org/ ; @NatOIRLab
Description: The National Science Foundation has merged all of its ground based astronomy facilities as of October 1, 2019. These facilities include Kitt Peak National Observatory, Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, the Gemini Observatory, the Community Science Data Center and the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope. In this podcast, NSF’s OIR Lab Deputy Director Dr. Beth Willman discusses the launch of the new organization.
Bio: Rob Sparks is a Science Education Specialist at the National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory. A lifelong astronomy enthusiast, he earned a B.A. in physics at Grinnell College and his M.S. at Michigan State University. He taught high school physics, math and astronomy for 11 years at schools on St. Croix, Florida and Wisconsin. He spent the 2001-2002 school year working on the Sloan Digital Sky Survey as a recipient of the Fermilab Teacher Fellowship. He spent the summer of 2003 at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory as part of the Research Experience for Teachers. He has been working as a NASA Astrophysics Ambassador since 2002.
Dr. Beth Willman is Deputy Director of NSF’s National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory.
End of podcast:
365 Days of Astronomy
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