The U.S. National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO) is supporting Intuitive Machines’ second lunar mission, IM-2, which landed on the surface of the Moon, Thursday, March 6th.
Recent News
Next-Generation Very Large Array Antenna Design to be Used By German Astronomers
The U.S. National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy Observatory has announced a significant collaboration with the Bavarian State Government to construct a cutting-edge radio telescope atop Germany’s highest mountain. This radio telescope will use the design of the proposed NSF NRAO’s Next Generation Very Large Array (ngVLA).
NSF VLA Contributes Crucial Puzzle Piece to ‘Peculiar’ High Energy Transient
High-energy transient signals are most often determined to be gamma-ray burst events, but the recently-launched Einstein Probe has expanded astronomers’ ability to quickly respond to similar signals occurring at X-ray wavelengths. Now, a multi-wavelength study of EP240408a concludes that while many of the signal’s characteristics might lead to the conclusion that it is a gamma-ray burst, the non-detection at radio wavelengths precludes that possibility.
AUI Board of Trustees Elects Christine Wilson as Board Chair and William Harris as Vice Chair

AUI Board of Trustees Elects Christine Wilson as Board Chair and William Harris as Vice Chair
Washington, D.C.— The AUI Board of Trustees met at AUI’s Dunn Loring office in Vienna, VA September 22 and 23. Following President Adam Cohen’s overview of AUI, and reports from the Board and Governance Committees, the Board approved the FY 2023 AUI Corporate budget, elected Christine Wilson and William Harris to serve as the next Board Chair and Vice Chair of the AUI Board, and appointed new Trustee Jay Marx, Former Executive Director of the LIGO Laboratory, California Institute of Technology.
Professor Christine Wilson is an internationally recognized expert in the study of gas and star formation in nearby galaxies. She has been involved in the design and development of the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array since its inception in 1999 and was also a member of the SPIRE instrument team for the Herschel Space Observatory. During her more than 20-year career at McMaster University, Professor Wilson has supervised 9 Ph.D. Students and 5 postdoctoral fellows.
William (Bill) Harris is a Director of Innovation Advisory Partners after serving as the founding Director General of Science Foundation Ireland (2001-2006) and, then Science Foundation Arizona (2006-2020). Prior to Ireland, he was Vice President of Research and Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of South Carolina. Dr. Harris served as Assistant Director of the Columbia University Earth Institute and President of the Biosphere 2 Center, which became a western campus of Columbia.
After the election and appointment, the Board heard updates on government affairs from Federal Science Partners and Cornerstone. In the afternoon NRAO Director, Tony Beasley and Deputy Director, Phil Jewell provided an update on the Radio Astronomy Division, followed by closed sessions.
The Trustee dinner on Wednesday evening and the reception on Thursday evening provided an opportunity for the Trustees to discuss business topics and meet with colleagues from the National Science Foundation (NSF), stakeholders from various organizations that support AUI’s work, collaborators, and individuals with whom AUI hopes to build collaborations or may be sponsors of future AUI research activities.
The second day of meetings included Dr. Cohen’s incubator Initiatives and energy portfolio updates, followed by updates on cyber/E-Learning and STEM Initiatives. Board members ending their terms were recognized and honored for their service. The meeting concluded with Board discussions in a closed executive session.
Recent News
Space Company Taps Coast-to-Coast Radio Telescopes for Moon Mission
The U.S. National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO) is supporting Intuitive Machines’ second lunar mission, IM-2, which landed on the surface of the Moon, Thursday, March 6th.
Next-Generation Very Large Array Antenna Design to be Used By German Astronomers
The U.S. National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy Observatory has announced a significant collaboration with the Bavarian State Government to construct a cutting-edge radio telescope atop Germany’s highest mountain. This radio telescope will use the design of the proposed NSF NRAO’s Next Generation Very Large Array (ngVLA).
NSF VLA Contributes Crucial Puzzle Piece to ‘Peculiar’ High Energy Transient
High-energy transient signals are most often determined to be gamma-ray burst events, but the recently-launched Einstein Probe has expanded astronomers’ ability to quickly respond to similar signals occurring at X-ray wavelengths. Now, a multi-wavelength study of EP240408a concludes that while many of the signal’s characteristics might lead to the conclusion that it is a gamma-ray burst, the non-detection at radio wavelengths precludes that possibility.