elt@astrovax.UUCP (Ed Turner) (12/15/83)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- In an open letter to the AURA Board, John Jefferies, the director designate of NOAO (National Optical Astronomy Observatories) the new organization which will merge AURA's ground based observatories (KPNO, CTIO, and SPO), stated that the implementation plan for the formation of NOAO may have final approval from the Board and the NSF by February 1. The actual formation of NOAO will follow soon thereafter. At the time of this implementation the current appointments of the Directors of KPNO (Geof Burbidge) and SPO=NSO (Jack Zirker) will expire by previous resolution of the Board. This is the reason for the recent advertisement of these two positions; it does not imply the conclusion to which some people have leapt, namely that Geof and Jack have either quit or been fired. Dr. Jefferies' letter states that he has urged both to apply for the new positions (NOAO Associate Directorships) and considers them both to be "natural candidate". The CTIO Director's (Pat Osmer's) appointment was made earlier and does not expire with the formation of NOAO. In addition to the three observatories, NOAO will include an Advanced Development Program (ADP) division with major responsibility for the NNTT project and other large initiatives in NOAO facilities and instrumentation. As a member of the AURA Board (Princeton scientific representative) and of its Organization Committee with heavy involvement in the NOAO re-organization, I would be most interested in the comments on this new setup either now or after its inception when we can see how things are going. A net discussion would be excellent but if anyone wishes to make more private comments to me by mail, that would also be welcome. Ed Turner astrovax!elt
grandi@kpno.UUCP (12/16/83)
It was announced yesterday that Jacques Beckers, presently Director of
the MMT observatory, has been appointed an associate director of NOAO
and director of the Advanced Development Program.
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Steve Grandi, Kitt Peak National Observatory, Tucson, AZ, (602) 325-9228
{arizona,decvax,hao,ihnp4,seismo,unc,utastronomy,ut-sally} !kpno!grandi