NOAO director appointed

Australian astronomer Jeremy Mould has been named as the new director of the National Optical Astronomy Observatories (NOAO), Tucson, Arizona, succeeding astronomer Sidney Wolff, who announced more than a year ago her intention to step down as soon as a new director could be found (See Physics Today, January 2000, page 45 ). Mould is both an administrator and an active researcher, having recently played an important part in the Hubble Space Telescope Key Project on the Extra-galactic Distance Scale. Most recently he was the director of the Australian National University’s Mount Stromlo and Siding Springs Observatories. The announcement was made by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, which oversees NOAO. “I’m delighted that Jeremy will join AURA in this new capacity,” said AURA president William Smith. “I am confident that he will fulfill the role of the National Observatory as recently called for by the Astronomy and Astrophysics Survey Committee.” Mould said he is looking forward to NOAO’s playing a role in several of the projects called for by the committee, including the development of a segmented mirror telescope; a facility aimed at surveying the whole sky every week; and establishment of a national virtual observatory. “NOAO ought to play a role in each of these, and it is finding the right role in the entire system of US astronomy that is interesting,” Mould said.