A Year-long Vision
Now, you might be wondering what I am
hoping to achieve in one year: after all, Gem-
ini is blessed with a very strong and compe-
tent team, and this is hardly a fort that needs
to be held. I am hoping to contribute to three
main areas: implementing the National Cen-
ter for Optical-infrared Astronomy (NCOA; a
name that is still tentative), setting the Ob-
servatory on the path defined by the Gemini
Board’s Strategic Vision, and strengthening
Gemini’s partnership.
First, most of you have heard of NCOA —
a vision to combine operations of the cur-
rent Gemini and National Optical Astron-
omy Observatory facilities with the future
operations of the Large Synoptic Survey
Telescope, and integrate them into a single
matrixed structure. NCOA has been recom-
mended by several independent reports, in-
cluding the 2010 National Research Council
(NRC) Decadal Survey Report “New Worlds,
New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophys-
ics,” the 2010 National Science Foundation/
Division of Astronomical Sciences Portfo-
lio Review Report “Advancing Astronomy
in the Coming Decade: Opportunities and
Challenges,” and the 2015 NRC study report
“Optimizing the U.S. Ground-Based Optical
and Infrared Astronomy System.” Driven by
a coherent scientific strategic vision, NCOA
will be greater than the sum of its parts. It
will facilitate collaborations and partner-
ships and, critically, will provide oppor-
tunities for innovation that are presently
beyond the scope and capacity of the indi-
vidual centers.
While the potential benefits of such an inte-
gration are tremendous, the challenges are
also significant. That’s why my second goal
is to ensure that, under NCOA, Gemini con-
tinues to develop the scientific vision that
has recently been articulated by the Gemini
Board (you can find it here ). In the next sev-
eral months, it will be a privilege for me to
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GeminiFocus
work with Henry Roe and John Blakeslee
(our new Deputy Director and Chief Scien-
tist, respectively) to turn the Board’s vision
into reality.
My third goal is to ensure that NCOA remains
true to the needs of Gemini’s partners. In my
mind, international partnership is Gemini’s
main strength. With their diverse communi-
ties, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, and the US
each enrich Gemini’s scientific atmosphere,
open new opportunities for scientific and
technical collaborations, and align Gemini
with the global nature of modern astrono-
my. In the near future, I am looking forward
to the possibility that Korea (currently a lim-
ited-term collaborator) might become part
of the Gemini family, and I am excited about
new collaborative oppor