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Edward Moses to lead Giant Magellan Telescope Organization

(Download Image) Ed Moses

Ed Moses, a longtime scientific leader at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, has been appointed by the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization (GMTO) as president of their organization, effective Oct. 2, 2014.

"Ed is ideally positioned and qualified for this scientific leadership role," Laboratory Director Bill Goldstein said. "He is an expert in laser science, optical systems, technology development, systems engineering and project leadership and management. Ed has played key roles in major LLNL programs over the last 35 years including Atomic Vapor Laser Isotope Separation, Peregrine, the National Ignition Facility and the National Ignition Campaign.

"He also was responsible for building several major science and DOD work-for-other programs," Goldstein said. "Ed is an international leader in fusion energy science and applications. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and member of many other professional societies, and a winner of a broad spectrum of prestigious awards."

The GMTO is a major international collaboration with the partner institutions of Astronomy Australia Ltd., The Australian National University, Carnegie Institution for Science, Harvard University, Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, Smithsonian Institution, The University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M University, The University of Arizona, The University of Chicago and the Universidade deSaoPaulo.

The Giant Magellan Telescope, a billion-dollar, 25-meter telescope, will be located at the Las Campanas Observatory in Chile. The GMT will be significantly larger than any telescope in existence today. It will be used to discover and characterize planets around other stars (including the search for telltale signs of life), to probe the formation of stars and galaxies shortly after the Big Bang, to measure the masses of black holes and to explore fundamental issues in cosmology and physics, including dark matter and dark energy. The giant telescope is expected to come on line early in the next decade.

"This is a tremendous opportunity to take part in a revolutionary telescope project that will change the nature of our understanding of the cosmos," Moses said. "I am proud to have been a part of the LLNL community for 35 years and have been privileged to work with the greatest minds and personalities on the most challenging scientific and technical problems. I leave with the greatest admiration for the people and mission of the Lab."

"Ed has been a key member of the Laboratory as a technical contributor, senior manager and thought leader," Goldstein said. "He has been a valued adviser to many and he will remain a colleague and collaborator in future endeavors. We congratulate him on leading this exciting enterprise and wish him the best in his new position."