Peter Michaud
Fostering Career
Opportunities Within our
Local Communities
In addition to his
duties as Senior
Optical Technician,
Clayton Ah Hee
(below, and inset)
assists with other
work on the
mountain, like the
recent repairs of
the Gemini North
Shutter Drive Unit.
One way to ensure Gemini’s
healthy future is to reach out and
enable career opportunities from
within Gemini’s local host communities in both Chile and Hawai‘i.
Take, for instance, the case of
life-long Hilo resident Clayton
Ah Hee. As a young man, Clayton would look up at the domes
atop Mauna Kea and wonder
what it would be like to work at
an observatory. About 26 years
ago, Clayton’s dream came true
and since then he has worked
his way up to his current position
as Gemini North’s Senior Optical
Technician. Clayton recalls that
while growing up he always had a
fascination with shiny things, like chrome-plated and polished components. “Funny that
my primary role at the Observatory is to prep and apply the multilayer silver coatings on
the all the major optics at Gemini!” he says.
July 2014
GeminiFocus 19