by Markus Kissler-Patig and Fred Chaffee
Changing of the Guard:
Directors’ Messages
As this issue goes to press, the directorship of Gemini is in transition. Interim
Director Fred Chaffee has recently returned to his retirement in Italy (as planned,
in May) and Gemini’s Nancy Levenson is filling in until the much-anticipated
August arrival of Markus Kissler-Patig. Both Fred and Markus have contributed
their reflections and visions here.
A Message from Markus:
Greetings!
Starting August 1st, I will take over as Director of the Gemini Observatory and feel very privileged to be allowed to do so.
After announcing my decision in March, I was flooded with congratulations from all parts of
the Gemini community. Thank you all for your warm words and the support that made me feel
most welcome. It strengthened me in the belief that I had made a great decision to take up this
opportunity.
Since then, I have visited the Hilo Base Facility a couple of times and encountered a highly
motivated and incredibly dedicated staff. The environment I found at the observatory is a very
dynamic one and made me understand why Gemini has been constantly improving over the
last years. Clearly, Gemini has worked hard to become a world-class facility, and the fruits of this
labor are now being harvested by its community.
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GeminiFocus
June2012