Category: Announcements
After The Storm: W. M. Keck Observatory Update Following Hurricane Lala
Hurricane Lala passed just south of Hawaiʻi Island over the weekend, bringing heavy rain, strong winds, flooding, and significant damage to communities across the island. Keck Observatory Staff & ‘Ohana Safe We are grateful to report that our staff and their ʻohana are safe, and no staff homes sustained catastrophic damage. Some members of our…
W. M. Keck Observatory Welcomes Jacques Sebag as Chief Engineer and Operations Officer
Sebag brings over three decades of expertise in global astronomical observatory operations Maunakea, Hawaiʻi – Jacques Sebag has joined the W. M. Keck Observatory as its Chief Engineer and Operations Officer, effective September 15. Sebag has over 30 years of experience in operations and engineering leadership at premier astronomical observatories around the world. Most recently,…
W. M. Keck Observatory Appoints T. Ilihia Gionson as First Chief of Public Affairs
Maunakea, Hawaiʻi – The W. M. Keck Observatory is pleased to announce the appointment of T. Ilihia Gionson as its inaugural Chief Public Affairs Officer, effective February 3, 2024. In this newly established role, Gionson will lead efforts to enhance mutual understanding, foster collaboration, and strengthen community relations. He will join the Observatory’s Senior Leadership…
W. M. Keck Observatory Appoints Rich Matsuda as Director
International search confirms local-born executive to lead the Observatory Maunakea, Hawaiʻi – The W. M. Keck Observatory today announced the appointment of Rich Matsuda as its next director, effective January 1, 2024. “With the support of our Board of Directors, our Observatory has been making a pivot for the last several years, turning toward a…
Swinburne and W. M. Keck Observatory Form Historic Scientific Partnership to Unlock New Era of Space Discovery for Australia and the U.S.
Swinburne University of Technology has become the first organization outside of the United States to join the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaiʻi as a scientific partner. The new scientific partnership builds on Swinburne’s 15-year association with the Observatory through a strategic agreement with Caltech under which Swinburne researchers have been able to demonstrate outstanding…
CARA Board Announces W. M. Keck Observatory Leadership Change
Director Hilton Lewis to Step Down Rich Matsuda to Serve as Interim Director UC’s Bruce Macintosh and Caltech’s Lynne Hillenbrand to Co-chair Search Committee for New Director Kamuela, Hawaiʻi, April 20, 2023 – The Board of Directors for the California Association for Research in Astronomy (CARA) today announced W. M. Keck Observatory Director Hilton Lewis…
W. M. Keck Observatory Sets Climate Action Goal: Net-Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 2035
Kamuela/Maunakea, Hawaiʻi – Compelled by the urgent need to take critical action on the global climate crisis, W. M. Keck Observatory has set a goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2035, as outlined in a recent report published in the journal Nature Astronomy. “We are serious about being good stewards of our precious environment,” said…
Director’s Message: Maunakea’s Future
Aloha, Today, Governor David Ige signed HB2024 into law, establishing a new governance and management structure for Maunakea by creating the Mauna Kea Stewardship and Oversight Authority. We believe this is a positive way forward, one that upholds our core principles,* is inclusive of the native Hawaiian community in decision-making, and is consistent with our…
Director’s Message: How Andrea Ghez Won the Nobel for an Experiment Nobody Thought Would Work
She insisted on doing it anyway—and ultimately provided conclusive evidence for a supermassive black hole at the core of the Milky Way Standing in my office 25 years ago was an unknown, newly minted astronomer with a half-smile on her face. She had come with an outrageous request—really a demand—that my team modify our exhaustively…
Director’s Message: COVID-19
UPDATE: OCTOBER 19, 2020 Aloha Kākou, The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a major impact on us all, and the world of research astronomy is no exception. Despite the many challenges we continue to face – from a temporary shutdown in early Spring to capacity restrictions on our summit personnel – our staff has been…