Colin J. Lonsdale
Director My goals as Director are to ensure the long-term research excellence, financial stability, and staff well-being of the Observatory, while remaining active in research.I did my undergraduate work at St. Andrews University, Scotland, in Astronomy and Applied Mathematics, earning my Bachelor’s in 1978. My graduate work was at the Jodrell Bank observatory in Cheshire, England, which is part of the Victoria University of Manchester. I obtained my Ph.D. in 1981, and worked as a postdoctoral fellow at Jodrell for two more years. In 1983 I took a 3-year postdoctoral appointment at Penn State University, and in 1986 joined Haystack Observatory as a research scientist. I was promoted to Principal Research Scientist in 2001, joined the leadership team as Assistant Director in 2006, and was appointed as Haystack Observatory Director in 2008.
I am married with two adult sons, and live in rural southern New Hampshire. I am an avid golfer and photographer, and am perpetually busy with major home improvement projects. I enjoy public outreach activities, bringing a scientific perspective to diverse topics.