As a 28- year veteran Keck Observatory employee and now at the helm as observatory Director; I will trace the evolution of the Keck Observatory telescopes and how they have impacted the scientific and engineering landscape of the 21st century astronomy. What is the rationale behind their extraordinary design; how did they come to be built and what made them the peerless discovery machines they are today? The journey will take us to the future, to understand the role this key observatory will play in the decades ahead: Keck Obervatory’s place on the ladder of discovery. We are furthering humankind’s journey on a path to understanding the most fundamental of questions: “Where do we come from and What is our destiny?
Staff Speaker
Observatory Director
W. M. Keck Observatory
