This message from Dean Paul Goldbart, announcing Volker Bromm will be the next chair for the Department of Astronomy, was sent to members of the faculty and staff this week.
I am delighted to announce that our colleague Professor Volker Bromm has accepted my invitation to serve as the next chair of the department. Volker is the Josey Centennial Professor in Astronomy and a Distinguished Teaching Professor. Since joining the faculty in 2004, he has advanced the university's research mission as a leading theorist contributing to our understanding of the early stages of cosmic history. His pioneering work to describe how the first stars, black holes and galaxies formed after the Big Bang has been critical for the field, from informing the design of telescopes such as NASA's James Webb Space Telescope and the Giant Magellan Telescope to serving as the basis for his upcoming textbook, The First Stars, to be published this fall. Just as importantly, Volker is committed to the university's instructional mission and has served the campus with award-winning teaching. Not only a member of UT's Academy of Distinguished Teachers, he has received a college teaching award and a Regents' Outstanding Teaching Award. I am pleased to welcome Volker to the CNS leadership team.
It is a pleasure for me to take this opportunity to thank Professor Shardha Jogee, who has served the department and college as Astronomy chair with great dedication these last four years and been an avid champion for students, faculty and research in the department. To touch on some of Shardha's important contributions, I mention faculty hiring, new educational initatives, public engagement, alumni relations, and development, including the securing of foundation support. I am highly appreciative of Shardha's tireless efforts -- in these spheres and others -- on behalf of Texas Astronomy.
I would like to extend my thanks to all who took time to engage in the process leading up to the selection of the new Astronomy chair. Your participation in the selection process has served as a model for future efforts in the college, and I am grateful for it.
