ASP News

March 2005 – ASP President, Dennis Schatz, to receive NSTA’s Distinguished Service to Science Award at the NSTA Convention in Dallas, Texas April 2, 2005. Schatz receives this award in recognition for his contribution to science education. He is currently Vice President for Education and Exhibits at the Pacific Science Center, the major informal science museum in Seattle, WA. He has been one of the key managers of that institution since 1980, guiding major exhibits that traveled around the US, overseeing a number of influential outreach programs and co-chairing LASER, a statewide science teaching improvement program for Washington state.

March 2005 – ASP Announces new Board of Directors Officers for 2005. Dennis Schatz of the Pacific Science Center in Seattle, Washington now serves as ASP President and joining him is James Kaler, of James B. Kaler of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, as the new Vice-President. Both serve these positions until March 2007. Catharine Garmany of NOAO joins our distinguished list of Past-Presidents and looks forward to remaining very active in the ASP.

November 2004 – Project ASTRO highlighted in November 2004 issue of Astronomy Magazine. After nearly a decade of creating teacher-astronomer relationship, Project ASTRO continues to enhance astronomy education throughout the United States. Read the entire article in pdf format (3.1 MB file, high-speed connection recommended).

August 24, 2004 - Dr. Harold McNamara, Professor of Astronomy at Brigham Young University, has retired as Managing Editor of the ASP’s Conference Series. Associate Editor Dr. J. Ward Moody, also a Professor of Astronomy at BYU, has been named Interim Managing Editor. More »

May 20, 2004 – The ASP is pleased to announce the 2004 ASP Award recipients, including Dr. Chushiro Hayashi, recipient of the prestigious Catherine Wolfe Bruce Gold Medal and Dr. Seth Shostak, selected to receive the Klumpke-Roberts Award. Read more about all seven of our recipients and how to attend the 2004 Awards Banquet honoring their significant contributions and accomplishments.

April 15, 2004 – This spring marks the 10th year of Project ASTRO, an innovative program at the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) that partners amateur and professional astronomers with teachers around the country to give students a hands-on introduction to astronomy.

Since the program started in San Francisco and Los Angeles classrooms in 1994, it has directly helped more than 103,000 students enjoy and participate in the excitement of scientific discovery. Project ASTRO is currently operating through 12 regional sites across the nation.

The Universe became a bit darker on Monday, 22 March, with the death of Dr. Janet Akyüz Mattei, long-time Director of the American Association of Variable Star Observers and a former member of the ASP’s Board of Directors.

Through her leadership of the international, nearly century-old AAVSO, through her efforts to draw amateur and professional astronomers closer together in their work, and through her passionate pursuit of improved science education, Dr. Mattei brought her innate curiosity about and love of the heavens to everyone fortunate enough to know her.

The Board of Directors, Officers, Editors, and Staff of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific are saddened by her passing and join the international science community in celebrating her marvelous, stellar life.

December 8, 2003 – NASA and the Astronomical Society of the Pacific announce the official launch of the Night Sky Network, a national coalition of astronomy clubs engaged in public outreach. Participating clubs will have the opportunity to use unique, engaging materials and demonstrations at all of their events, participate in special content and presentation training, involve more of their members in outreach, and even win national recognition for their public outreach activities. Second round applications are now being accepted through September 30th.

July, 2003 – 2003 ASP Awards announced. Vera Rubin is awarded the prestigious Bruce Medal. Read more about all of our award winners.

January 20, 2003 – The Astronomical Society of the Pacific’s Secretary, Mary Kay Hemenway, was inducted into the Texas Hall of Fame for Science, Mathematics and Technology on January 20.