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• The Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP), one of the oldest and most respected science education organizations in the U.S., has announced that Michael Bennett is the 2016 recipient of its Andrew Fraknoi Supporters Award. The Fraknoi Award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the ASP and its mission.
  
  Michael Bennett began his career in astronomy education at the age of 16 when he got a job as an usher at the Morrison Planetarium in San San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. He worked in the planetarium field for many years, acquiring a master's degree in science education along the way. After a detour into high-tech marketing, he continued to teach at various community colleges. Bennett currently serves as the volunteer Director of the ASP's Advisory Board. Michael Bennett joined the ASP in 1995 as head of the society's newly-formed education department and served as ASP's Executive Director from 2000 to 2007. Under his leadership, the ASP's education and public outreach initiatives greatly expanded and new initiatives were added. Bennett established a 20-year partnership between the SETI Institute and the ASP to bring the results of NASA SOFIA's infrared studies of the sky to scientists and the public. In a partnership with NASA JPL, Bennett also helped the ASP launch the NASA Night Sky Network -- an active community of amateur astronomy clubs across the nation that look to the ASP for support as they engage the public in astronomy activities. Almost 25 years later, the ASP provides over 500 member clubs in the Night Sky Network with on-line resources, tools, training, and kits. Michael Bennett remains one of the ASP's most avid and enthusiastic champions. He is a tireless advocate of the society, helping garner the donations and gifts allowing the ASP to support amateurs, professional researchers, science educators, and astronomy enthusiasts of every kind all over the world.

• Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient to be the inaugural recipient of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific’s award for outstanding achievement in astronomy and education by an African-American scientist. Katherine Johnson, renowned NASA mathematician who calculated and verified the trajectories that took the first Americans into space and to the Moon, will be the inaugural recipient of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific’s Arthur B.C. Walker II Award.
  [caption id="attachment_6185" align="alignnone" width="257"] Katherine Johnson after receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Photo Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls. Click image for high-resolution version.[/caption]
  The Arthur B.C. Walker II Award recognizes outstanding achievement by an African American in astronomy and for actively promoting diversity in science. Katherine Johnson celebrates her 98th birthday in August. Her family will accept the award on her behalf on October 22, 2016 during the ASP's Annual Awards Gala in Burlingame, California. Katherine Johnson received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama in 2015. About Katherine Johnson Katherine Coleman Goble Johnson (born August 26, 1918) is a space scientist and mathematician who made major contributions to aeronautics for NASA’s space programs from 1953 to 1986. Known for the accuracy of her orbital calculations, she determined the trajectory for Project Mercury and the 1969 Apollo 11 flight to the Moon.
  [caption id="attachment_6186" align="alignnone" width="238"] Katherine Johnson at NASA in 1966. Photo credit: NASA. Click on image for a high-resolution version.[/caption]
  When NASA used electronic computers for the first time to calculate John Glenn's orbit around Earth, Glenn insisted that she verify the computer's numbers. NASA dedicated the Katherine G. Johnson Computational Research Facility at the Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia on May 5, 2016. This occurred on the 55^th anniversary of Alan Shepard's historic rocket launch and splash down, which Katherine Johnson helped make possible through her orbital calculations. After retiring from NASA, Johnson dedicated herself to inspiring young people to pursue careers in science, mathematics, and engineering. About Dr. Arthur B.C. Walker II Arthur B.C. Walker II (1936 – 2001), Professor of Physics and Applied Physics at Stanford University, was a renowned and highly respected aerospace engineer and solar physicist. While at Stanford, Arthur was an active member of the Center for Space Science and Astrophysics and chaired the Astronomy Program from 1977 until 1980. His most significant contribution to academic life at Stanford was mentoring under-represented graduate students in science, namely women and African Americans. Among these students was Sally Ride, the first female U.S. astronaut. He was also a leader of the African-American community at Stanford and the longest serving member of the advisory committee for the Afro-American studies program. He served as a role model for many of the young African-American assistant professors including Condoleeza Rice. President Ronald Reagan selected Dr. Walker (along with Neil Armstrong and other luminaries) to chair the most important committee in the history of the U.S. space program, the commission investigating the space shuttle Challenger explosion. NASA recognized his lifetime of service during a combined meeting of the National Conference for Black Students and the National Society of Black Physicists in 2001. Dr. Walker’s devotion to science and service encouraged and promoted African Americans to enter physics as a profession at all levels. About the Arthur B.C. Walker II Award The ASP's Arthur B.C. Walker II Award has been established to honor an outstanding scientist whose research and educational efforts substantially contributes to astronomy and who has (1) demonstrated a substantial commitment to mentoring students from underrepresented groups pursuing degrees in astronomy and/or (2) been instrumental in creating or supporting innovative and successful STEM programs designed to support underrepresented students or their teachers. The Arthur B.C. Walker II Award also includes an “Arthur B.C. Walker II Scholarship” which the recipient gives to a student of their choice. In addition, and perhaps even more important than the financial benefit, the prestigious scholarship from the ASP will help support the student’s academic and career goals. About The Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) The ASP is a 501c3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to use astronomy to increase the understanding and appreciation of science and to advance science and science literacy. The ASP connects scientists, educators, amateur astronomers and the public together to learn about astronomical research, improve astronomy education, and share resources that engage learners of all kinds in the excitement and adventure of scientific discovery. Current ASP programs and initiatives support college faculty, K-12 science teachers, amateur astronomy clubs, science museums, libraries, park rangers, and girl scouts to name a few. Through its annual awards, ASP recognizes achievement in research, technology, education, and public outreach. The awards include the ASP’s highest honor, the Catherine Wolfe Bruce Gold Medal awarded since 1898 for a lifetime of outstanding research in astronomy. The Bruce Medal has gone to some of the greatest astronomers of the past century, including Arthur Eddington, Edwin P. Hubble, Subramanyan Chandrasekhar, and Vera Rubin. The ASP also presents the Klumpke-Roberts Award for outstanding contributions to the public understanding and appreciation of astronomy. Awardees include Carl Sagan, Isaac Asimov, and the Hubble Heritage Project.

• The Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP), one of the oldest, innovative, and respected organizations in the U.S. dedicated to increasing the understanding and teaching of astronomy, is proud to announce the recipients of its 2016 awards for excellence in astronomy research and education. The awards will be formally presented at an ASP Awards Ceremony and Banquet on October 22, 2016 at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Burlingame, CA. More information about the ASP’s awards and past recipients can be found here.

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  [caption id="attachment_6060" align="alignnone" width="120"] Prof. Ian McLean[/caption]
  The Maria and Eric Muhlmann Award recognizes recent significant observational results made possible by innovative advances in astronomical instrumentation, software, or observational infrastructure. The 2016 recipients of the Muhlmann Award are Prof. Ian McLean (University of California Los Angeles) and Prof. Charles ‘Chuck’ Steidel (California Institute of Technology) for their roles as Co-Principal Investigators on the Multi-Object Spectrometer for Infrared Exploration (MOSFIRE) imager, a revolutionary low-resolution multi-object near-infrared spectrograph on the Keck 10-meter telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawai‘i.
  [caption id="attachment_6062" align="alignnone" width="120"] Prof. Charles ‘Chuck’ Steidel[/caption]
  MOSFIRE is ideally suited for studying galaxy clusters at moderate redshift, and the initial results of large surveys using this instrument are fundamentally changing our understanding of these galaxy clusters. The increase in the number of objects that can be studied simultaneously, and the significantly improved sensitivity over previous instruments, is transformative for the study of faint, moderate-redshift galaxies. Prof. McLean was responsible for the design and construction of the instrument in his laboratory at UCLA. Prof. Steidel provided much of the scientific motivation and case for MOSFIRE and is using it to lead the Keck Baryonic Structure Survey, which is designed to investigate the interchange of baryons between galaxies and the intergalactic medium in the redshift range 1.8<z<3.0, corresponding to the peak of cosmic star formation. MOSFIRE also enables other investigations of the stellar populations, dust content, and physical conditions within the interstellar medium of typical star-forming galaxies at these epochs.
  [caption id="attachment_6059" align="alignnone" width="120"] Dr. Chris Impey (Image credit: Jeff Smith/University of Arizona)[/caption]
  Awarded to an individual or individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the public understanding and appreciation of astronomy, the Klumpke-Roberts Award for 2016 goes to Dr. Chris Impey, University Distinguished Professor of Astronomy and Associate Dean at the University of Arizona College of Science. For more than 27 years Dr. Impey has been successfully popularizing science via his classes at the university, public talks, articles, and books. He has written numerous popular science books plus two introductory textbooks for college-level astronomy that have sold more than 100,000 copies. His courses have been recognized for their innovative style and approach to making science accessible to the students. Dr. Impey has pioneered the teaching of massive open online classes (MOOCs) that reach thousands of students around the world. His YouTube channel supports astronomy video content with more than 500 subscribers and more than a million views. His mentoring of undergraduate and graduate students has produced a generation of inquisitive young astronomers. In 2008, the Astronomical Society of the Pacific presented Dr. Impey with the Richard H. Emmons Award for excellence in college astronomy teaching. Dr. Caitlin M. Casey (Assistant Professor, U. of Texas at Austin) writes: “Chris has dedicated much of his career to the public understanding of astronomy, not least due to his outstanding teaching record, authorship of several popularized astronomy books and introductory astronomy textbooks, [and] giant online presence, but also his infectious enthusiasm for science and dedication to sharing it with everyone.”
  [caption id="attachment_6057" align="alignnone" width="120"] Dr. Rachael L. Beaton[/caption]
  The Robert J. Trumpler Award is presented to a recent recipient of a PhD degree in North America whose research is considered unusually important to astronomy. The 2016 Trumpler Award is given to Dr. Rachael L. Beaton, who completed her PhD in December of 2014 at the University of Virginia. Dr. Beaton’s research has focused on “near-field cosmology,” revealing how the structure and evolution of nearby galaxies can provide insight into cosmological processes. Her work has fundamentally contributed to our understanding of stellar populations and galaxy dynamics in the Local Group of galaxies. She is best known for her research on the Andromeda galaxy (Messier 31), including the discovery and characterization of M31’s central bar through near-infrared imaging. This provided key information on the dynamics of a galaxy considered to be the closest sibling of the Milky Way. Dr. Beaton also led the creation of an extensive photometric catalog upon which all papers in the SPLASH (Spectroscopic and Photometric Landscape of Andromeda's Stellar Halo) collaboration have depended. As her more than 30 refereed publications and 1,200 citations attest, the breadth of Dr. Beaton’s work is extraordinary. Dr. Beaton also has a deep commitment to teaching and outreach, winning numerous accolades including the “All-University Graduate Teaching Award.” Collaborator Dr. Guhathakurta (Lick Observatory) writes, “Rachael is highly intelligent, creative, motivated, and extremely hard working. She is mature well beyond her years and is a first-rate researcher.”
  [caption id="attachment_6061" align="alignnone" width="120"] Dr. Caroline Simpson[/caption]
  The Richard H. Emmons Award — established by Jeanne and Allan Bishop in honor of her father, Richard Emmons, an astronomer with a life-long dedication to astronomy education — is awarded annually to an individual demonstrating outstanding achievement in the teaching of college-level introductory astronomy for non-science majors. The 2016 recipient is Dr. Caroline Simpson, a Professor in the Department of Physics at Florida International University (FIU) where she has taught several large courses (with 150-plus students) to non-science majors each semester since1996. Dr. Simpson is strongly interested in reforming science education and has incorporated the latest inquiry-driven pedagogical techniques into her classes, including collaborative learning methods, learning assistants, and laboratory activities. She was instrumental in helping develop a new student observatory for astronomy education — the Stocker AstroScience Center at FIU’s Modesto Maidique Campus. Dr. Simpson was one of the developers and first instructors of FIU’s Great Ideas in Science course, a multidisciplinary science course for non-majors. She laid the foundation for an interactive course and helped spread instructional reform across the sciences, a challenge that required confronting faculty and their often lecture-driven instructional stances. She also led a skeptical department into online teaching by designing and teaching two introductory astronomy courses for non-majors. This enables FIU to reach a population of students who might not otherwise be able to take courses. Her excellence extends beyond the classroom to include being a strong advocate for students and instructional excellence at FIU.
  [caption id="attachment_6056" align="alignnone" width="120"] Ms. Jacqueline Barge[/caption]
  The Thomas J. Brennan Award is given to an individual demonstrating excellence in the teaching of astronomy at the high school level in North America. Ms. Jacqueline Barge, a science teacher and planetarium program coordinator at the Walter Payton College Preparatory High School in Chicago, Illinois, is the recipient of the 2016 Brennan Award. Jacqueline has spent her 25-year career in the Chicago Public Schools, working with students whose experience is with a night sky that gives no hint of the unimaginable vastness beyond the glow from city streetlights. Jackie has brought the universe into the hands of countless numbers of urban students by communicating the possibilities for exploring space using imaging software, databases, remote telescopes, apps, and other tools. It is easy to see her excellence as she motivates a group of students to do extracurricular research throughout the year and then takes them to the Jet Propulsion Lab in a culmination project with NASA/IPAC. Whether she is with a visiting class of elementary students, teaching in one of her high school classes, or participating in a teacher training workshop, she always has wisdom to pass on. One of her supporters writes: “I have often thought that Jackie is so exceptional that she could work anywhere — a suburban district, a museum, or in a beautiful natural setting where the sky is clear. Apart from her considerable talents, I genuinely admire Jackie for the dedication as a public school teacher in a district in need of exceptional teachers.”
  [caption id="attachment_6058" align="alignnone" width="120"] Gena Crook[/caption]
  Established by Wayne Rosing and Dorothy Largay, the Las Cumbres Amateur Outreach Award honors outstanding educational outreach by an amateur astronomer to K-12 children and the interested lay public. The 2016 award is given to Gena Crook of the Von Braun Astronomical Society (VBAS) of Huntsville, Alabama, in recognition of her tireless efforts in promoting astronomy since 2001. In addition to being a mathematics instructor at the University of Alabama Huntsville, Gena serves as the VBAS’s Director of Education and Programs and as a NASA Night Sky Network (NSN) Coordinator. She actively promotes and incorporates NSN materials into multiple presentations, including the more than 15 planetarium programs she has written. She has supported numerous VBAS outreach events in the local community such as International Observe the Moon Night at the US Space and Rocket Center, stargazing at Bridgestreet shopping center, Earth Day at Hayes Nature Preserve, and a campout at the Huntsville Madison County Botanical Garden. Gena is registered as an Astronomy Merit Badge Counselor with the Boy Scouts of America, and during the summer of 2012, she inspired young readers to go out and look at the stars by making presentations, on behalf of the VBAS, at eight regional libraries for their summer reading program. About the ASP Since its humble beginnings in 1889 as a membership society for professional and amateur astronomers, the ASP has evolved into one of the most recognized and well-respected nonprofit astronomy organizations in the country. The ASP is dedicated to bringing together professionals, amateurs, educators, and enthusiasts for the purpose of increasing the understanding of astronomy and improving how we teach that knowledge to others. Boasting a diverse portfolio of astronomy education initiatives funded by NASA and the NSF, professional research journals and publications, and annual awards designed to recognize the achievements of professional and amateur astronomers as well as the work done by formal and informal educators, the ASP is unique in its mission to foster science literacy through the wonder and excitement of astronomy. The ASP is headquartered in San Francisco, and is financially supported by donations, grants, corporate sponsorships, subscriptions, member dues, and retail sales.