Photo of our Board of Visitors

Board of Visitors

The Department of Astronomy Board of Visitors was established in the fall of 2002. Its members are a diverse group of people who love both astronomy and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The Board of Visitors advises and assists the Department and its chair in accomplishing the Department’s mission and vision. It also serves as a bridge between astronomy amateurs and professionals; the University of Wisconsin-Madison administration, students and alumni; the State of Wisconsin; and the wider community.

The Board of Visitors:

  • Acts as a sounding board and an advocate for the Department’s mission, vision and programs.
  • Assists in establishing contacts and relationships between the department and pertinent organizations and individuals in the University community.
  • Assists in leveraging synergies between astronomy projects and potential commercial applications.
  • Assists the faculty, in conjunction with UW Foundation development efforts, to secure funding for new and forward-looking programs included in the Department’s vision.
  • Advises on broad perspectives for enhancing the capability and image of the Department.

The Board also relishes adventures — intellectual and otherwise — including, in recent years, a launch of the shuttle Atlantis, trips to the WIYN Observatory in Tucson and the SALT Observatory in South Africa, and a weekend of theater, art and astronomy in Spring Green, Wisconsin.

Board Members

Senior Advisors