Issue 15-53, December 20, 2015

+—————————————CONTENTS————————————-+

1. MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR: DPS REPRESENTATION AT AAS
2. MESSAGE FROM THE FEDERAL RELATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE CHAIR
3. RENEW YOUR AAS/DPS MEMBERSHIP TODAY
4. SOUTHEASTERN ASSOCIATION FOR RESEARCH IN ASTRONOMY (SARA)
5. JWST EARLY RELEASE SCIENCE REQUEST DUE JAN. 15
6. NASA DUE DATE EXTENDED FOR COMMENTS ON STANDARD AO
7. JOBS, POSITIONS, OPPORTUNITIES

+——————————————————————————————–+

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MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR: DPS REPRESENTATION AT AAS

As you know, the DPS is a subunit of our parent organization, the American 

Astronomical Society.  The AAS hires the staff that help us run our meetings,

keep track of our finances, and provide legal help as well as lots of useful 

services.  While I would characterize our relationship with the AAS as very 

good today, the same hasn’t always been true historically.  

Part of the communication barrier between us and the AAS derives from a 

lack of DPS representation on the AAS governing body, the AAS Council.  

When I mentioned this to present AAS President Meg Urry, she recommended 

that we use the democratic process to win representation by voting in the 

traditionally low-turnout AAS elections.  Since that time, a DPS member, 

Nancy Chanover, was appointed to the DPS Council to serve out the term of a 

Councilor who stepped down.  But I still want to take Meg up on her 

recommendation to win representation democratically.

To that end, several of us signed a petition to nominate DPS Member

Stefanie Milam to stand for election for AAS Council this year.  Stefanie

is the Deputy Project Scientist for Planetary Science for JWST at Goddard.  

With her diverse research interests including comets, stars, and laboratory 

studies, she is well placed to bring planetary interests to the table at the AAS.

The AAS elections open Monday at 

http://aas.org/governance/vote-aas-and-division-elections .  

Please take the time to vote, even if you normally don’t!  

Note that you must be an AAS Member to vote — affiliates are ineligible.

Finally, let me note a point of electoral strategy.  The AAS ballot allows up 

to three choices for the AAS Councilor positions.  In a case where a voter 

might prefer a single candidate far and above all others, the most influential 

option would be to vote for that single preferred candidate alone, leaving the 

other two voting lines blank.  Such an approach maximizes the net effect on 

the vote totals.

Merry Earth Northern Winter Solstice,

Jason W. Barnes

DPS Chair

PS:  I am *very* excited about the potential NASA Planetary Budget 

being over $1.6B!!!!! See the next post for details.

2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2

MESSAGE FROM THE FEDERAL RELATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE CHAIR

As you likely know, on Friday Congress passed an omnibus appropriation bill. 

The omnibus, once signed into law by the President, funds the entire federal 

government throughout Fiscal Year 2016. Not only does the bill avoid the threats 

of government shutdowns and continuing resolutions for the coming year, it is 

generally great news for planetary science – and science in general.

The planetary sciences division received a 13.44% increase over FY2015 for a 

total of $1.631 billion. This is the highest level of funding for planetary science 

in 10 years. The science mission directorate as a whole received a 6.57% increase 

to $5.5894 billion. NASA got a 7.08% increase in its overall budget, bringing 

it to an overall $19.285 billion. 

As we have seen more and more in recent years, there are a number of 

Congressional mandates in the bill (carrying the force of law) and in the report 

langauge (which does not carry the force of law but expresses guidance and the 

intent of Congress), including:
* $448 million for Mars Exploration, with $250M for Mars 2020
* $50 million for NEO observations
* $189.7 million for OSIRIS-REx
* $189 million for Discovery; includes $19 million for Lunar Reconnaisance 

Program and funds to enable a 2017 Discovery AO
* Increase to New Frontiers to accelerate the next AO, targeting before 

February 2016
* $261 million for outer planets research, including $175 million for the 

Jupiter Europa Clipper
* Mandate that the Clipper “…shall include an orbiter with a lander that will 

include competitively selected instruments…with a target launch date of 2022″ 

and the expectation that the Clipper will be launched on the SLS
* Direction to create an Ocean World Exploration Program with the primary 

goal “to discover extant life on another world”
* $197 million for planetary science techonology, with at least $25 million 

for icy satellites surface technology and $15 million for plutonium-238 

production

For more specifics go to:
https://aas.org/posts/blog/2015/12/fy-2016-omnibus-will-be-better-some-disciplines-others

After years of Administration-proposed cuts to planetary science and work in 

Congress to build back the budget, we are now seeing the highest level of

funding for planetary science in a number of years. It is cause for celebration 

and expressing appreciation to our supporters in Congress. But we as a 

community must stay engaged in order to maintain and build on these gains. 

If you want more information on the bill, report, etc. or for other questions 

or comments on policy matters please contact Makenzie Lystrup at

[email protected]

3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3

RENEW YOUR AAS/DPS MEMBERSHIP TODAY

With no dues increase and a “stellar” lineup of benefits, there isn’t a better 

time than now to renew your commitment to the AAS/DPS.

AAS emailed members in early September announcing the start of membership 

renewal season, and many took notice. Online renewals are arriving at a steady 

pace. If you have already paid your dues, thanks for your continued support.

To help reduce costs and the Society’s carbon footprint, we encourage you to 

renew online today for fast, easy self-service. Simply log in to pay your dues,

to confirm or update your journal subscriptions and Division memberships, 

and to lock in savings for 2017 by renewing for two years at the current rate.

(Note: That last option isn’t available to junior members, who instead get two

years for the price of one — currently $80 —when first joining the Society,

then renew annually thereafter.)

Renew before 31 December to maintain your benefits and receive additional 

savings: the AAS will extend a one-time 15% discount off your portion of the 

author charges for one paper published in the Astronomical Journal, the

Astrophysical Journal, ApJ Letters, or ApJ Supplement. Eligible members 

can double their savings: if you renew by 31 December for two years, you will 

receive the 15% author discount on one paper each in 2016 and 2017.

The Society has much planned for 2016 — including the 227th meeting of the 

AAS in Kissimmee in January — so you won’t want to miss out on the latest 

science, member communications, and career and networking opportunities. 

Supporting the AAS is supporting your discipline. Renew today!

If you have any questions about your dues or benefits, or need assistance 

when logging in, please contact the membership team by email at 

[email protected]or by phone at 202-328-2010. Thank you!

4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4

SOUTHEASTERN ASSOCIATION FOR RESEARCH IN ASTRONOMY (SARA)

The SARA Consortium is seeking to engage at least one new institutional 

member in 2016.  Currently our 13-member consortium operates 1-m-class

telescopes at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona, Cerro Tololo 

Interamerican Observatory in Chile, and Roque de los Muchachos Observatory 

in the Canary Islands, Spain.  All three SARA telescopes support remote access 

observing programs and are equipped for imaging at optical wavelengths.  

The telescopes in Arizona and Chile are also equipped with moderate resolution 

echelle spectrographs.  Guaranteed observing time (approximately 60 nights 

per year distributed across three telescopes) is proportionately assigned to 

SARA member institutions based on an initial capital investment of $100K 

and annual operational dues of $15K.  Letters of interest received before 

March 1, 2016 will be reviewed at the spring 2016 SARA Board meeting and 

invitation(s) for full proposal(s) will be extended shortly thereafter.  Additional 

information about SARA and our facilities can be found at www.saraobservatory.org   

Inquiries should be directed to the Chairman of the SARA Board of Directors, 

Dr. Terry Oswalt at [email protected].

5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5

JWST EARLY RELEASE SCIENCE REQUEST DUE JAN. 15:

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is scheduled for launch in

October 2018, and the first call for proposals will be released in 2017.

The Space Telescope Science Institute, following the recommendations

of the JWST Advisory Committee 

(http://www.stsci.edu/jwst/advisory-committee/JSTAC-Recommendations_ERS_CF.pdf),

is now defining the parameters for an Early Release Science (ERS) program. 

The primary objective of the ERS program is to provide community access 

to a broad suite of JWST science observations as early as possible in Cycle 1. 

The observing programs will be chosen by peer review to provide 

representative datasets and to address technical challenges related to the 

major instrumental modes available on JWST. ERS observations are expected 

to seed initial discovery and to inform Cycle 2 proposals, which will be 

submitted just months after the start of Cycle 1. 

We are gathering community input to inform our preparations for the 

program and invite your participation in our brief survey at: 

http://goo.gl/forms/lR0rHG4H4o 

The survey will be open until 15 January 2016 and consists of four pages; 

it should take 10-15 minutes to complete. More information on the general 

framework and timeline for the ERS program can be found on the ERS 

webpage (http://www.stsci.edu/jwst/science/ers). Questions and/or comments 

are welcome via email (jwst_ers [at] stsci.edu).

6———6———6———6———6———6———6———6———6———6

DUE DATE FOR COMMENTS ON THE NASA SMD 

STANDARD AO EXTENDED TO JANUARY 15, 2016

The Science Mission Directorate (SMD) has extended the open period for 
comments on the Standard Announcement of Opportunity (AO) until 
January 15, 2016. 

For reference information regarding the current Standard AO Template 
and a copy of the previous message inviting comments please see: 

http://science.nasa.gov/researchers/sara/grant-solicitations/ 

Modifications that could result in shortening and/or simplifying Step 1 
proposals submitted for two-step flight mission acquisitions and other 
suggestions may be submitted via email by January 15, 2016 to Thomas 
Wagner at [email protected] and Washito Sasamoto at 
[email protected]

7———7———7———7———7———7———7———7———7———7

JOBS, POSITIONS, OPPORTUNITIES

A) POSTDOC POSITIONS, UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI’1 AT MANOA

The Reaction Dynamics Group, Department of Chemistry, University of

Hawai’i at Manoa, invites applications for four postdoctoral positions.

The appointment period is initially for one year, but can be renewed

annually based on avail­a­b­ility of funds and satisfactory progress. The

salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. Successful 

applicants should have a strong background in one or more of the following:

experimental reaction dynamics, molecular beams, combustion chemistry, 

low temperature condensed phase, UHV tech­nology, pulsed laser systems. 

2 Positions: Reaction Dynamics & Combustion Chemistry (Gas Phase). 

The prime directive of the experiments is to investigate the formation of 

carbonaceous molecules (PAHs) in combustion systems exploiting crossed 

molecular beams along with mass spectrometry and ion imaging (Hawaii) 

and a pyrolytic micro reactor (Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley 

Laboratory). 

2 Positions: Planetary Chemistry & Astrobiology (Condensed Phase). The 

goal of these experiments is to probe the formation of alkylphosphonic acids 

via interaction of ionizing radiation with low temperature interstellar and 

cometary analog ices. Reaction products will be probed via tunable vacuum

ultraviolet photoionization of the subliming molecules. 

Solid communication skills in English (written, oral), a publication record 

in internationally circulated, peer-reviewed journals, and willingness to 

work in a team are man­da­to­ry. Only self-motivated and energetic candidates 

are encouraged to apply. Please send a letter of interest, three letters of 

recommendation, CV, and publication list to Prof. Ralf I. Kaiser, De­partment 

of Chemistry, University of Hawai’i at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822-2275, 

USA [[email protected]]. Applicants must demonstrate their capability to 

prepare manuscripts for publications independently. The review of applications 

will start December 15, 2015, and continues until the position is filled. 

A description of our current research group can be found at http://www.chem.hawaii.edu/Bil301/welcome.html.

Examples of recent publications can be seen at 

Int. Rev. Phys. Chem. 34, 461-514 (2015). 
Annu. Rev. Physical Chemistry 66, 43-67 (2015). 
The Astrophysical Journal 814, 45 (2015). 
Chemical Communications 51, 11305-11308 (2015). 
Angewandte Chemie – International Edition 54, 5421-5424 (2015). 
Angewandte Chemie – International Edition 54, 195-200 (2015). 
Angewandte Chemie – International Edition 53, 4608-4613 (2014). 
Angewandte Chemie – International Edition 53, 7440-7444 (2014). 
The Journal of the American Chemical Society (2014). 
Chem. Soc. Rev. 43, 2701-2713 (2014).

B) POSTDOC AT LIEGE UNIVERSITY, BELGIUM

A two-year research contract will start in early 2016 at the Laboratoire

de Physique Atmosphérique et Planétaire (Liège University, Belgium). 

We are looking for a postdoc to work on a new project on the Martian

atmosphere in relation with  the Mars Express and the upcoming

TGO/EXOMARS ESA’s missions. The candidate should be familiar with

analysis of optical observations related to emission and absorption of

radiation in terrestrial planets’ atmospheres.  If you know of researcher(s)

who could be interested by this position, please contact JC Gerard

(at [email protected]).

———————————+

Send submissions to:

Anne Verbiscer, DPS Secretary ([email protected]) 

To unsubscribe visit http://aas.org/unsubscribe or email [email protected].

To change your address email [email protected].

—
Anne J. Verbiscer
Research Associate Professor
Department of Astronomy
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4325

Issue 15-52, December 13, 2015

+—————————————CONTENTS————————————-+

1. MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR: ICARUS AGREEMENT REACHED
2. RENEW YOUR AAS/DPS MEMBERSHIP TODAY
3. JOBS, POSITIONS, OPPORTUNITIES

+——————————————————————————————–+

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MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR: ICARUS AGREEMENT REACHED

I’d like to fill you all in on the progress that’s been made by signing

a contract with Elsevier formalizing the DPS’ relationship with Icarus. 

While we like to think of Icarus as ‘our’ journal, it is in reality wholly

owned by the publishing giant Elsevier.  As such, despite being our

‘official’ journal the DPS had no control over editorial staffing, design

decisions, and distribution strategy (i.e., whether or not to go open access). 

Elsevier makes a ton of money off of our free content, free reviewing

labor, and free editorial labor, and we were getting nothing in return.

As a result of a long negotiation inititially spearheaded by Dan Britt

and finalized by Bonnie Buratti, we now have a formal contract with

Elsevier instead of the informal arrangement that we had been operating

under for over a decade.  Elsevier now sends us $28,000 annually to be

used for DPS-led journal and research activities, interpreted broadly. 

Although they wouldn’t budge on allowing the DPS to appoint Icarus’

editor, we agreed that in a case where Elsevier appointed an editor over

our objections we could terminate the agreement.  And because we don’t

own or control the journal, it will henceforth be ‘endorsed by the DPS’

instead of being our ‘official’ journal. 

I promised in my candidate statement to renegotiate our relationship

with Icarus to derive revenue and ensure editorial autonomy.  We’ve

done it.  But consideration of the way that we publish our scientific

results isn’t over.  Elsevier still restricts dissemination of both new

articles and the historical archive, extorting huge sums from libraries

for institutional access and charging for access to individual articles.

At this year’s Members’ Meeting in National Harbor you made clear

your continued interest in publication as a fundamentally important

aspect of how we do our science.  To continue the conversation, I am

appointing a subcommittee led by Ross Beyer to be charged with

broadly canvassing the Membership for ideas and opinions to move

our publications strategy forward.  If you’d like consideration for

appointment to the publications subcommittee, or if you want to read

a more detailed description of the Icarus agreement and its rationale,

please let me know at [email protected] .  Our deal with Elsevier

has a term of three years, so we need to think now about how and

whether to renew the contract in two years’ time.  Keep an eye on this

space for the opportunity to make your voice heard over the

coming months! 

Jason W. Barnes

DPS Chair

2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2

RENEW YOUR AAS/DPS MEMBERSHIP TODAY

With no dues increase and a “stellar” lineup of benefits, there isn’t a better 

time than now to renew your commitment to the AAS/DPS.

AAS emailed members in early September announcing the start of membership 

renewal season, and many took notice. Online renewals are arriving at a steady 

pace. If you have already paid your dues, thanks for your continued support.

To help reduce costs and the Society’s carbon footprint, we encourage you to 

renew online today for fast, easy self-service. Simply log in to pay your dues,

to confirm or update your journal subscriptions and Division memberships, 

and to lock in savings for 2017 by renewing for two years at the current rate.

(Note: That last option isn’t available to junior members, who instead get two

years for the price of one — currently $80 —when first joining the Society,

then renew annually thereafter.)

Renew before 31 December to maintain your benefits and receive additional 

savings: the AAS will extend a one-time 15% discount off your portion of the 

author charges for one paper published in the Astronomical Journal, the

Astrophysical Journal, ApJ Letters, or ApJ Supplement. Eligible members 

can double their savings: if you renew by 31 December for two years, you will 

receive the 15% author discount on one paper each in 2016 and 2017.

The Society has much planned for 2016 — including the 227th meeting of the 

AAS in Kissimmee in January — so you won’t want to miss out on the latest 

science, member communications, and career and networking opportunities. 

Supporting the AAS is supporting your discipline. Renew today!

If you have any questions about your dues or benefits, or need assistance 

when logging in, please contact the membership team by email at 

[email protected]or by phone at 202-328-2010. Thank you!

3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3

JOBS, POSITIONS, OPPORTUNITIES

A) TENURE-TRACK FACULTY POSITION PLANETARY SCIENCE, 

UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

The Department of Planetary Sciences/Lunar and Planetary Laboratory at 
the University of Arizona seeks to fill a tenure-track faculty 
position. Candidates in all areas of planetary science are encouraged 
to apply. The faculty, research staff, and graduate student body draw 
from multiple sub-disciplines in planetary science including geology, 
physics, chemistry, engineering, and astronomy. The faculty member 
will: establish and maintain a distinguished research program in the 
field of planetary sciences; supervise graduate students; teach courses 
at the graduate and undergraduate levels; and contribute to mentoring 
students, including those from underrepresented backgrounds. The 
faculty member will also participate in outreach and contribute to 
departmental, college, and university service. Incoming salary and rank 
will be dependent on the qualifications of the applicant. Go to:

https://lpl.arizona.edu/faculty-jobs

Review of applications begins on January 11, continuing until the 
position is filled. Anticipated start date is August 2016. Apply for 
posting #F20285 at: 

http://uacareers.com 

Three letters of reference must be uploaded with application before 
initial review of applications; information for applicant and letter 
writers is included in the online application. Direct inquiries to: 

Professor Timothy D. Swindle 
[email protected] 

UA is an EEO/AA employer – M/W/D/V.

B) TENURE-TRACK FACULTY POSITION SOLAR AND HELIOPHYSICS, 

UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

The Department of Planetary Sciences/Lunar and Planetary Laboratory 
(LPL), University of Arizona, seeks to fill a tenure-track faculty 
position in the area of Solar and Heliospheric Physics, defined 
broadly. Theorists, numerical modelers, data analysts, and 
instrumentalists are encouraged to apply. Initial appointment will 
preferably be at the level of untenured Assistant Professor.

The successful candidate will be expected to establish and maintain a 
distinguished research program, including extramural funding, and to 
supervise graduate students. The faculty member will teach courses at 
the graduate and undergraduate levels, and contribute to mentoring 
students, including those from underrepresented backgrounds. The 
faculty member will participate in outreach and contribute to 
departmental, college, and university service. In these and other ways, 
the faculty member will help to develop innovative approaches to 
enhancing student engagement, increasing diversity, and expanding 
collaborations with community and business partners. Go to:

https://lpl.arizona.edu/faculty-jobs

Review of applications begins on January 11, continuing until the 
position is filled. Start date is expected to be August 2016. Apply 
for posting #F20286 at: 

http://uacareers.com 

Direct inquiries to: 

Professor Timothy D. Swindle  
(520) 621-4128 
[email protected] 

The University of Arizona is an EEO/AA employer – M/W/D/V.

University of Arizona

C) EXPERIMENTAL PLANETARY SCIENCES (EPS)

The California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Postdoctoral 
Scholars Program at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) invites 
applications for a postdoctoral research position in JPL’s Ice 
Spectroscopy Laboratory (ISL).

The research will involve laboratory simulations to understand surface 
processes on icy bodies such as Europa and on Titan. Dr. Murthy 
Gudipati (Principal Scientist), in JPL’s Planetary Sciences Section, 
will serve as JPL postdoctoral advisor to the selected candidate. 
Candidates should have a recent PhD in Physics, Chemistry, Planetary 
Science, or related scientific area with a strong background in 
advanced laboratory physical chemistry/chemical physics. Experience 
in planetary sciences, astrochemistry, and astrobiology is highly 
desirable. Candidates who have received their PhD within the past 
five years since the date of their application are eligible. 
This positions is for one-year and may be renewed up to a maximum 
of three years based on performance and availability of funds. 
Arrange for 2-3 letters of reference letters to be sent to:

Dr. Murthy Gudipati (+1-818-354-2637)
murthy.gudipati(at)jpl.nasa.gov

Caltech and JPL are equal opportunity/affirmative action employers. 
Women, minorities, veterans, and disabled persons are encouraged to 
apply.

———————————+

Send submissions to:

Anne Verbiscer, DPS Secretary ([email protected]) 

To unsubscribe visit http://aas.org/unsubscribe or email [email protected].

To change your address email [email protected].

—
Anne J. Verbiscer
Research Associate Professor
Department of Astronomy
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4325

Issue 15-51, December 6, 2015

+—————————————CONTENTS————————————-+

1. DPS MEMBER LUCY MCFADDEN ELECTED AAAS FELLOW
2. RENEW YOUR AAS/DPS MEMBERSHIP TODAY
3. NASA RFI: PREPARATION FOR THE DEVELOPENT OF A COMMUNITY-

BASED ROADMAP FOR NASA’S PLANETARY DATA SERVICES

1. KAVLI SUMMER PROGRAM IN ASTROPHYSICS: EXOPLANETARY ATMOSPHERES
2. UPCOMING MEETINGS, WORKSHOPS
3. JOBS, POSITIONS, OPPORTUNITIES

+——————————————————————————————–+

1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1

DPS MEMBER LUCY MCFADDEN ELECTED AAAS FELLOW

DPS Member (and currently serving DPS Vice-Chair) Dr. Lucy McFadden has 

been elected as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of 

Science (AAAS). 

http://www.nasa.gov/press-release/goddard/aaas-names-nasa-goddard-scientists-2015-fellows/ 
http://www.aaas.org/elected-fellows 

Dr. McFadden was among 347 new fellows elected his year nation-wide, including 

just 5 in the Astronomy subsection.  Congratulations Dr. McFadden!

2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2

RENEW YOUR AAS/DPS MEMBERSHIP TODAY

With no dues increase and a “stellar” lineup of benefits, there isn’t a better 

time than now to renew your commitment to the AAS/DPS.

AAS emailed members in early September announcing the start of membership 

renewal season, and many took notice. Online renewals are arriving at a steady 

pace. If you have already paid your dues, thanks for your continued support.

To help reduce costs and the Society’s carbon footprint, we encourage you to 

renew online today for fast, easy self-service. Simply log in to pay your dues,

to confirm or update your journal subscriptions and Division memberships, 

and to lock in savings for 2017 by renewing for two years at the current rate.

(Note: That last option isn’t available to junior members, who instead get two

years for the price of one — currently $80 —when first joining the Society,

then renew annually thereafter.)

Renew before 31 December to maintain your benefits and receive additional 

savings: the AAS will extend a one-time 15% discount off your portion of the 

author charges for one paper published in the Astronomical Journal, the

Astrophysical Journal, ApJ Letters, or ApJ Supplement. Eligible members 

can double their savings: if you renew by 31 December for two years, you will 

receive the 15% author discount on one paper each in 2016 and 2017.

The Society has much planned for 2016 — including the 227th meeting of the 

AAS in Kissimmee in January — so you won’t want to miss out on the latest 

science, member communications, and career and networking opportunities. 

Supporting the AAS is supporting your discipline. Renew today!

If you have any questions about your dues or benefits, or need assistance 

when logging in, please contact the membership team by email at 

[email protected]or by phone at 202-328-2010. Thank you!

3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3

NASA RFI : PREPARATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A COMMUNITY-

BASED ROADMAP FOR NASA’S PLANETARY DATA SERVICES

NASA is preparing to work with the planetary science community to develop a 

Roadmap for its Planetary Data Services – the data and sample management 

architecture that supports the robotic exploration of the Solar System – particularly, 

the Planetary Data System (PDS). This Roadmap will address actions for the years 

2017-2026. To this end, NASA is seeking input from the planetary and data science 

communities.

More information available here :

http://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/viewrepositorydocument/cmdocumentid=487152/solicitationId=%7BFC62D98C-68A5-7EAC-7DF8-6D2D891E2437%7D/viewSolicitationDocument=1/PDS RFI document for posting.pdf

4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4

KAVLI SUMMER PROGRAM IN ASTROPHYSICS: EXOPLANETARY 

ATMOSPHERES 

The 2016 Kavli Summer Program in Astrophysics will be held at the University 

of California, Santa Cruz, from June 20th to July 29th this summer on the topic 

of “Exoplanetary Atmospheres.” Jonathan Fortney is the director of this year’s 

program, with a Scientific Organizing Committee of Dorian Abbott, Ruth Murray-Clay, 

Doug Lin​, Adam Showman, Xi Zhang, and Colin Goldblatt. ​The program lecturers 

are Jacob Bean, David Catling, and Kristen Menou. 

For more information about the program, including details about its format, 

testimonies from past participants, and application forms, see

http://kspa.ucsc.edu/program. 

The program will consist of a first week of pedagogical lectures and state-of-the-art 

seminars, and the next 5 weeks are dedicated to collaborative and multidisciplinary 

research, with graduate students working on projects proposed by the long-term 

participants of the program. 

This program is an outstanding venue for students to learn about a field in depth, 

and have the opportunity to work with leading faculty in the field. The students 

are chosen among the best applicants from all over the world. This is also an 

incredible opportunity for faculty and postdocs to meet the best of the next 

generation, and have the chance to mentor them. Many research projects lead 

to a publication. 

The program is inviting applications from graduate student, postdocs and faculty 

to attend. Applications are competitive, as all selected participants will be provided 

with free accommodation for the duration of their stay in Santa Cruz. The deadline 

for student applications is January 22nd. Faculty/postdoc applications are reviewed 

on a monthly basis, until March 31st.

5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5

UPCOMING MEETINGS, WORKSHOPS

A) TITAN AERONOMY AND CLIMATE WORKSHOP 

(27-29 JUNE 2016, REIMS, FRANCE) 
 

The objective of the workshop is to bring together international 
experts from different fields of Titan’s research in order to have 
an overview of the current understanding, and to determine the remaining 
salient scientific issues and the actions that could be implemented to 
address them. PhD students and post-doc researchers are welcomed to 
present their studies. This conference aims to be a brainstorming 
event leaving abundant time for discussion during oral and poster 
presentations. 

Abstract deadline for oral presentations:    April 1, 2016 
Abstract deadline for poster presentations:    May 21, 2016 
Registration deadline:                            June 22, 2016 

** WARNING : This workshop is limited to a maximum of 70 participants 

Scientific Committee : 
B. Bézard (LESIA, Obs. Paris-Meudon, F) 
P. Lavvas (GSMA, Univ. Reims Champagne-Ardenne, FR) 
P. Rannou (GSMA, Univ. Reims Champagne-Ardenne, FR) 
C. Sotin (JPL, NASA/Caltech, USA) 
D. Strobel (J. Hopkin Univ., USA) 
R. West    (JPL, NASA/Caltech, USA) 
R. Yelle (LPL, Univ. of Arizona, USA) 

More information : http://planeto.univ-reims.fr/tac/

B) AAS SPLINTER SESSION: “THE NEXT LEAP IN UV/OPTICAL/NIR

SPACE ASTRONOMY” 

Please join us at the 227th AAS Meeting in Kissimmee, Florida for an AAS 

Splinter Session “The Next Leap in UV/Optical/NIR Space Astronomy” 

Tuesday, January 5, 2016 from 10:00-11:30 AM Gaylord Palms Resort and

Convention Center Orange Blossom Ballroom

6———6———6———6———6———6———6———6———6———6

JOBS, POSITIONS, OPPORTUNITIES

A) TENURE-TRACK FACULTY POSITION PLANETARY SCIENCE

University of Arizona

content/assistant-professor-physics-andor-astronomy-education-research

B) TENURE-TRACK FACULTY POSITION HELIOPHYSICS

University of Arizona

content/tenure-track-faculty-position-heliophysics

C) RESEARCH ASSOCIATE – CENTER FOR EXOPLANETS AND 

HABITABLE WORLDS

The Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Center for Exoplanets and 

Habitable Worlds (CEHW), at The Pennsylvania State University invites 

applications for one or more research associate positions. Successful applicants 

will work with CEHW faculty on theoretical, observational, and/or instrumentation 

projects, and will be expected to pursue programs of their own initiative. Of particular

interest are candidates who will work with Prof. Rebekah Dawson on dynamics and 

formation of exoplanets and/or the Solar System, debris disks, and/or analysis of 

transit light curves. Applicants should have a Ph.D. in Astronomy, Physics, Earth and 

Planetary Science, or a related field prior to the start date, and a promising research 

record that demonstrates experience in formation, detection, or characterization of 

planets. Applications must submitted electronically at https://psu.jobs/job/59992 and 

include a cover letter, statement of research interests, a CV, list of publications, and 

names and contact information of three references. Questions regarding the application 

process can be directed to [email protected]. Please reference job #59992 in the 

e-mail subject line. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue 

until all positions are filled. The position start date is flexible but a summer or fall 

2016 start is preferred. This is a one-year fixed-term renewable appointment. 

We encourage applications from individuals of diverse backgrounds.

———————————+

Send submissions to:

Anne Verbiscer, DPS Secretary ([email protected]) 

To unsubscribe visit http://aas.org/unsubscribe or email [email protected].

To change your address email [email protected].

—
Anne J. Verbiscer
Research Associate Professor
Department of Astronomy
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4325

Issue 15-50, November 18, 2015

+—————————————CONTENTS————————————-+

1. INAUGURAL MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR
2. RENEW YOUR AAS/DPS MEMBERSHIP TODAY
3. NASA PLANETARY SCIENCE DIVISION SEEKS REVIEWERS 

FOR ROSES PROPOSALS

1. JOBS, POSITIONS, OPPORTUNITIES

+——————————————————————————————–+

1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1

INAUGURAL MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

Fellow Planetary Scientists: 

I hope that all of you enjoyed pleasant travels back from National Harbor. 
This year’s meeting there was a tremendous success.  Thanks on behalf of 
the DPS to the efforts of the local organizing committee headed by Andrew 
Rivkin, the scientific organizing committee headed by Neil Dello Russo, 
and the numerous other volunteer contributors.  It takes effort on every 
level, from student volunteers up to scientific presenters, to showcase 
our science every year.  And headlined by the jaw-dropping new discoveries 
at Pluto, the 2015 meeting was one that I will remember for the rest of my 
career.  Also memorable was the first DPS Open Mic night talent show, 

which I thought was a runaway hit. 

In National Harbor we also took a step toward irradiating the cancer in 
our discipline that is harassment.  Masursky Prize winner Christina 
Richey held up a mirror for us to look upon ourselves.  Over the next year 
the DPS Committee will investigate what we as a professional society 
can actively do to ensure that success as a Planetary Scientist is based 
solely on scientific merit. 

On Friday, the DPS hosted a Lunch-and-Learn event with the United States 
Senate to educate staffers about Planetary issues.  The ability to 
communicate with our Government was one of the features of our venue near 
Washington, DC.  Our Lunch-and-Learn was well attended, with a few 
attendees having remarked that this was one of the best of this type of 
events that they had been to in a long time.  Special thanks to our 
Federal Relations Subcommittee Chair Dr. Makenzie Lystrup for organizing, 
and to Alan Stern, Bonnie Buratti, Carrie Nugent, and Mary Beth Wilhelm 
for serving on the panel. 

Next year’s meeting will take place in Pasadena, California 2016 October 
16-21.  The 2016 meeting will be particularly special because it will be 
our first held jointly with our European counterpart EPSC on American 
soil.  The meeting will therefore be bigger and more highly attended than 
any previous DPS, and we hope that the science quality lives up to the 
high bar set by the previous joint DPS/EPSC joint meeting in Nantes, 
France in 2011.  To that end, you’ve now got only 11 months to make the 
discoveries that you will present in Pasadena!  Happy science-ing, 

Jason W. Barnes

DPS Chair

2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2

RENEW YOUR AAS/DPS MEMBERSHIP TODAY

With no dues increase and a “stellar” lineup of benefits, there isn’t a better 

time than now to renew your commitment to the AAS/DPS.

AAS emailed members in early September announcing the start of membership 

renewal season, and many took notice. Online renewals are arriving at a steady 

pace. If you have already paid your dues, thanks for your continued support.

To help reduce costs and the Society’s carbon footprint, we encourage you to 

renew online today for fast, easy self-service. Simply log in to pay your dues,

to confirm or update your journal subscriptions and Division memberships, 

and to lock in savings for 2017 by renewing for two years at the current rate.

(Note: That last option isn’t available to junior members, who instead get two

years for the price of one — currently $80 —when first joining the Society,

then renew annually thereafter.)

Renew before 31 December to maintain your benefits and receive additional 

savings: the AAS will extend a one-time 15% discount off your portion of the 

author charges for one paper published in the Astronomical Journal, the

Astrophysical Journal, ApJ Letters, or ApJ Supplement. Eligible members 

can double their savings: if you renew by 31 December for two years, you will 

receive the 15% author discount on one paper each in 2016 and 2017.

The Society has much planned for 2016 — including the 227th meeting of the 

AAS in Kissimmee in January — so you won’t want to miss out on the latest 

science, member communications, and career and networking opportunities. 

Supporting the AAS is supporting your discipline. Renew today!

If you have any questions about your dues or benefits, or need assistance 

when logging in, please contact the membership team by email at 

[email protected]or by phone at 202-328-2010. Thank you!

3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3

NASA PLANETARY SCIENCE DIVISON SEEKS VOLUNTEER 

REVIEWERS FOR ROSES PROPOSALS

The Planetary Science Division at the Science Mission Directorate is 

seeking subject matter experts to serve as mail-in and/or panel meeting 

reviewers of research proposals submitted to ROSES-2015. We currently 

have posted new volunteer reviewer forms for:

·       ROSES 2015 C.4 Habitable Worlds

·       ROSES 2015 C.8 Lunar Data Analysis

·       ROSES 2015 C.12 Planetary Instrument Concepts for the Advancement of Solar System Observations (PICASSO)

·       ROSES C.19 Hayabusa2 Participating Scientist Program

in addition to the previously posted  forms for Solar System Workings 

and Discovery Data Analysis

Links to open review forms may always be found at 
http://science.nasa.gov/researchers/volunteer-review-panels/ 

4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4

JOBS, POSITIONS, OPPORTUNITIES

A) ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN PHYSICS AND/OR ASTRONOMY

     EDUCATION RESEARCH

University of Central Florida

content/assistant-professor-physics-andor-astronomy-education-research

B) NATIONAL OPTICAL ASTRONOMY OBSERVATORY (NOAO)

Tucson, Arizona

These positions are part of a broader push by NOAO to support data-intensive 

research, of exactly the sort that will prepare the community for LSST. 

Additional openings in this area are likely in the coming months and years.

All of these openings have the potential to lead to longer-term positions at 

NOAO, either after an initial appointment or (for particularly strong candidates)

immediately.

We expect graduating Ph.D. students and postdocs who are now engaged in 

LSST to be some of the strongest candidates for these jobs.

First is a postdoctoral position to work on the ANTARES project, a time-domain 

event broker system for LSST and other precursor surveys:

https://rn11.ultipro.com/SPA1004B/JOBBOARD/JobDetails.aspx?__ID=*BE6065D48F0F1CA9

Second is a Survey Data Scientist position to work on large new imaging

surveys (DECaLS and MzLS) and their integration into high-level distribution 

and analysis systems (NOAO Data Lab):

https://rn11.ultipro.com/SPA1004B/JOBBOARD/JobDetails.aspx?__ID=*FEDFC11DB90152FE

Third is an astronomical software specialist to help build the NOAO Data 

Lab user interface:

http://www.tiny.cc/srsoftwareeng

Fourth is an expert database developer to help build the large catalog back-end 

and interface for the Data Lab:

http://www.tiny.cc/srsoftwaresystems

We are happy to answer and/or forward any inquiries about any of these 

opportunities.

Thanks,

Knut Olsen and Adam Bolton

[email protected]

[email protected]

———————————+

Send submissions to:

Anne Verbiscer, DPS Secretary ([email protected]) 

To unsubscribe visit http://aas.org/unsubscribe or email [email protected].

To change your address email [email protected].

—
Anne J. Verbiscer
Research Associate Professor
Department of Astronomy
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4325

Issue 15-49, November 10, 2015

+—————————————CONTENTS————————————-+

1. FINAL MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR
2. RENEW YOUR AAS/DPS MEMBERSHIP TODAY
3. SBAG 14 MEETING REGISTRATION NOW AVAILABLE
4. JOBS, POSITIONS, OPPORTUNITIES

+——————————————————————————————–+

1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1

FINAL MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

The DPS and Diversity

The American Astronomical Society has a strong commitment to 

diversity, and the DPS has followed its lead. The Society’s first AAS 

diversity committee was established 40 years ago, and its mission 

statement “supports and promotes increased participation of historically 

underrepresented groups in astronomy.” The AAS has a very strong 

anti-harassment policy, which DPS supports. AAS President Meg Urry 

made a decisive statement – endorsed by the DPS – after the sexual 

harassment case at Berkeley involving Geoff Marcy. 

Some recent events have underscored the Society’s commitment. The 

controversy involving the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope 

on Mauna Kea spawned a derogatory comment about Native Hawaiians 

by a member of the astronomical community.  Meg Urry issued a 

statement condemning these comments 

(http://aas.org/posts/news/2015/05/response-community-concerns-about-our-professional-climate).

The Society convened its Inclusive Astronomy 2015 Conference June 

17-19 in Nashville. The AAS has established a Working Group on 

LGBTIQ Equality, and members of the Society maintain an “outlist” 

of openly Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, and Queer 

Members of the Astronomical Community 

(http://web.physics.ucsb.edu/~blaes/lgbtastro/).

The DPS has established its own fund in memory of Susan Niebur, 

who worked tirelessly for the benefit of women in DPS. The fund 

supports the annual Women in Planetary Sciences Lunches and 

dependent care grants to enable meeting attendance.  We also have a 

Professional Development Committee which has established a mentoring 

program.

DPS should continue and augment its commitment to diversity.  Our

Scientific Organizing Committees have made a point of exhibiting 

inclusiveness in DPS conference invited speakers. We have reached 

gender parity in our leadership, and we are striving to increase international 

representation in our leadership. Planetary sciences still remains 

underrepresented from members of the Black, Latin, and Native 

communities, as does the entire scientific community.  

A diverse community benefits everyone. It opens us to a range of opinions 

and perspectives on matters both technical and societal, and it strengthens 

our ranks with talented scientists from groups that have been historically 

underrepresented.

Bonnie Buratti

DPS Chair

2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2

RENEW YOUR AAS/DPS MEMBERSHIP TODAY

With no dues increase and a “stellar” lineup of benefits, there isn’t a better 

time than now to renew your commitment to the AAS/DPS.

AAS emailed members in early September announcing the start of membership 

renewal season, and many took notice. Online renewals are arriving at a steady 

pace. If you have already paid your dues, thanks for your continued support.

To help reduce costs and the Society’s carbon footprint, we encourage you to 

renew online today for fast, easy self-service. Simply log in to pay your dues,

to confirm or update your journal subscriptions and Division memberships, 

and to lock in savings for 2016 by renewing for two years at the current rate.

(Note: That last option isn’t available to junior members, who instead get two

 years for the price of one — currently $80 —when first joining the Society, 

then renew annually thereafter.)

Renew before 31 December to maintain your benefits and receive additional 

savings: the AAS will extend a one-time 15% discount off your portion of the 

author charges for one paper published in the Astronomical Journal, the

Astrophysical Journal, ApJ Letters, or ApJ Supplement. Eligible members 

can double their savings: if you renew by 31 December for two years, you will 

receive the 15% author discount on one paper each in 2016 and 2017.

The Society has much planned for 2016 — including the 227th meeting of the 

AAS in Kissimmee in January — so you won’t want to miss out on the latest 

science, member communications, and career and networking opportunities. 

Supporting the AAS is supporting your discipline. Renew today!

If you have any questions about your dues or benefits, or need assistance 

when logging in, please contact the membership team by email at 

[email protected]or by phone at 202-328-2010. Thank you!

3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3

SBAG 14 MEETING REGISTRATION NOW AVAILABLE

Registration and logistical information is now available for the SBAG 14 

meeting, which will be held January 27-29, 2016 in Monrovia, CA. 

Registration is free but important for planning and for evaluating 

community interest in SBAG meetings.

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/sbag/

Also, thank you to the New Horizons team for providing a newly updated

slide set, so that we can all easily share the excitement of planetary science 

missions with the public whenever we have the opportunity:

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/sbag/new_horizons/

4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4

JOBS, POSITIONS, OPPORTUNITIES

A) POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP IN EXOPLANETARY 

SCIENCE AT UC SANTA CRUZ 

The Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of 
California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) invites applications for the position of 
Morrison Postdoctoral Fellow in Astronomy. For this year’s Morrison 
Fellowship we are specifically targeting exoplanetary science. 

UCSC is the home of the University of California Observatories (UCO), 
with facilities including the Lick and Keck Observatories and Thirty 
Meter Telescope (TMT) International Observatory. It is also one of the 
world’s leading centers for research in computational astrophysics. 
The 3000-core Hyades cluster is the on-campus centerpiece of UCSC 
computational astrophysics. Close collaborations exist between 
Astronomy & Astrophysics, Physics, Earth & Planetary Sciences, and 
Applied Mathematics & Statistics. 

Applicants should be able to contribute to the Department of Astronomy 
and Astrophysics in exoplanetary science investigations that are 
either observational or theoretical in nature. 

Full job ad and additional information: 

http://apo.ucsc.edu/academic_employment/jobs/PS-ASTRO-MF.pdf 

Review of applications will begin on December 07, 2015. 

Inquiries: 
Please contact Professor Jonathan Fortney 
at [email protected] 

———————————+

Send submissions to:

Anne Verbiscer, DPS Secretary ([email protected]) 

To unsubscribe visit http://aas.org/unsubscribe or email [email protected].

To change your address email [email protected]

—
Anne J. Verbiscer
Research Associate Professor
Department of Astronomy
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4325

Issue 15-48, November 1, 2015

+—————————————CONTENTS————————————-+

1. IN MEMORIAM: LLOYD V. WALLACE (1927-2015)
2. DPS WORKSHOP: CHARACTERIZING NEW HORIZONS KBO TARGETS FROM EARTH
3. NSF DEAR COLLEAGUE LETTER REGARDING ARECIBO OBSERVATORY
4. COMMUNICATING WITH CONGRESS WORKSHOP AT DPS NATIONAL HARBOR
5. AIDA WORKSHOP AT DPS NATIONAL HARBOR
6. JOBS, POSITIONS, OPPORTUNITIES

+——————————————————————————————–+

1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1

IN MEMORIAM: LLOYD V. WALLACE (1927-2015)

Lloyd V. Wallace, Ph.D, Emeritus Astronomer at the Kitt Peak National

Observatory, passed away on October 26, 2015 in Tucson. Born in 1927 

in Detroit, Michigan, in humble circumstances, Lloyd developed an early 

interest in solar and planetary astronomy and was a protégé of Ralph Nichols, 

a physics professor at the University of Western Ontario. Later he moved 

back to the United States and obtained his Ph.D in Astronomy at the 

University of Michigan in 1957 under Leo Goldberg. It was while he was 

at the University of Michigan that he met and married his wife, Ruth. At 

various times in his early career, and as the result of a complex series of 

events, he held Canadian, British, and United States citizenships and even 

found time to become an expert professional electrician. On acquiring his 

degree he obtained a position with Joe Chamberlain at the Yerkes Observatory 

and began a lifetime association with Chamberlain and Don Hunten (then a 

visitor to Yerkes) in atmospheric and spectroscopic research. In 1962 they 

moved to Tucson where Chamberlain became the head of the Space Division 

at the Kitt Peak National Observatory, a unit set up by the first director, Aden 

Meinel, to apply advances in technology to astronomical research. Lloyd was 

hired as the principal experimenter in the observatory’s sounding rocket program, 

which was set up by the National Science Foundation to provide staff and 

visitor access to the upper atmosphere for research purposes. With this

program he supervised a series of 39 Aerobee rocket flights from the White 

Sands Missile range to investigate upper atmosphere emissions, aeronomic 

processes, and make astronomical observations over a period of about 10 years. 

He was also involved in the first attempts to establish a remotely controlled 50” 

telescope on Kitt Peak and efforts within the Division to create an Earth orbiting 

astronomical telescope. In parallel with these activities Lloyd conducted research 

which was largely focused on spectroscopic investigations. In the early days 

these included measurement of upper atmospheric emissions, particularly visual 

dayglow, the discovery of Raman lines in Uranus, Lightning spectrum, and

auroral emissions. During this time he also pursued theoretical studies of 

resonant line transfer and some of the first modelling of the thermal structure 

of outer planet atmospheres. With the conclusion of the rocket program he 

turned his attention to high-resolution studies of the sun and cool stars and to 

long-term study of the variability of atmospheric pollutants (HCl, HF. CO2) 

over Kitt Peak. His solar and cool star studies led to the production of several 

high-resolution digital atlases extending from the UV to the thermal IR, and 

in addition, studies of line variability and the molecular content of sunspots. 

Lloyd was a very private and genuine person, but with a very sharp wit. 

He was highly productive with 135 published papers bearing his name. 

2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2

DPS WORKSHOP: CHARACTERIZING NEW HORIZONS KBO TARGETS 

FROM EARTH

Tuesday November 10th, 12:20pm – 1:30pm, Annapolis 3

This lunchtime workshop will discuss needs and opportunities for Earth-based

KBO observations to support the potential New Horizons extended mission to

the Kuiper Belt.  At New Year 2019, subject to NASA approval of an extended

mission, New Horizons will encounter the cold classical KBO 2014 MU69,

providing the first ever close-up view of a small KBO.  The spacecraft also has

the opportunity to make unique long-range observations of about a dozen

additional KBOs during its transit through the Kuiper Belt.  Earth-based

observations can help to maximize the science return from the Kuiper Belt

mission by providing (for instance) astrometric, color, lightcurve, and

photometric data on target KBOs, and by providing a broader context for the

New Horizons targets.  This workshop will outline the planned New Horizons

KBO mission, and provide an opportunity for discussion of potential Earth-

based support observations.  All are welcome- if possible please contact

John Spencer ([email protected]) if you expect to attend.

3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3

NSF: DEAR COLLEAGUE LETTER REGARDING ARECIBO OBSERVATORY

A notice for the planetary science community:

The continued operation of the Arecibo Observatory (AO) is now officially open 

to question. In the below ‘Dear Colleague Letter’, released this week, the National 

Science Foundation (NSF) clearly states its desire to defund AO further (we have 

already been operating under severe budget cuts for the past few years) and 

ultimately transfer ownership of and responsibility for the observatory to some 

other organization:

http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2016/nsf16005/nsf16005.jsp?WT.mc_id=USNSF_25&WT.mc_ev=click

It is important to note that this decision is much more driven by NSF funding 

squeezes and its commitment to new projects than it is a measure of the scientific 

performance of Arecibo Observatory — which continues to be excellent. The 

William E. Gordon 305-m diameter radio telescope remains as the world’s largest 

and most sensitive single-dish antenna, and as such retains the potential for many 

more years of exceptional science (especially if upgraded further). For example, 

the Planetary Radar Science (PRS) group, of which I am part, conducts post-

discovery characterization observations of more than one hundred near-Earth and 

Main Belt asteroids each year, refining orbital solutions and frequently resolving 

shape, spin, and other physical characteristics of these bodies that can only be 

exceeded by much more expensive spacecraft visits. The work that we do here 

is incredibly important, and we now need the help and support of the scientific 

community in order to continue it.

4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4

COMMUNICATING WITH CONGRESS WORKSHOP 

AT DPS NATIONAL HARBOR

Sunday, November 8, 9am-noon. 

Interested in learning more about communicating science to decision 

makers? Want to participate in Congressional visits during DPS? This 

workshop is a great opportunity to learn about effective ways of 

communicating your science to members of Congress and other 

stakeholders. If you are interested in participating, please please go to 

public-policy/how-to-get-involved/

and sign up. The workshop is free, but space is limited. If the workshop 

fills up, participants will be chosen to maximize career level, demographic, 

and geographic representation.  Please note that given the nature of the 

meeting schedule and the schedule of Congressional staff, we can’t 

guarantee that we’ll be successful in getting Hill meetings for everyone.

This is an experiment, so we will see how it goes! No matter what, the 

workshop will be valuable and prepare you for future Hill visits and other

communication. Hosted by the DPS FRS and the American Geophysical Union.

5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5

AIDA WORKSHOP AT THE DPS 2015 MEETING 

National Harbor
Lunch time on Monday, Nov. 9 (Room Annapolis 1)

The AIDA (Asteroid Impact & Deflection Assessment) mission will be 
the first demonstration of asteroid deflection by a spacecraft kinetic 
impact, currently in Phase A study. The target will be the binary 
asteroid Didymos in 2022 whose mutual orbit will be changed by the 
impact. An integral part of AIDA will be coordinated ground-based 
observing campaigns to detect and measure impact effects. The AIDA 
Workshop at DPS will be an open meeting. Please come if interested 
to join discussions of the parallel AIDA Phase A studies for ESA 
and NASA and to hear about opportunities to participate in AIDA 
Working Groups for observations, modeling and simulations.

6———6———6———6———6———6———6———6———6———6

JOBS, POSITIONS, OPPORTUNITIES

A) PLANETARY SCIENCES EXPLORATION FACULTY

content/planetary-sciences-exploration-faculty

University of Central Florida

Application Deadline: November 15, 2015

B) FACULTY POSITION IN EARTH AND PLANETARY 

MATERIALS, UC DAVIS

The Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at the University of 
California Davis seeks an outstanding scholar whose study of the 
origin, transformation, or deformation of Earth and planetary 
materials addresses major processes in the solid Earth. This 
tenure-track faculty position is the first of multiple anticipated 
faculty searches directed at understanding the formation and 
evolution of Earth and other rocky planets, and we seek applicants 
whose work expands and amplifies our current research strengths. 
Appointment at the Assistant Professor level is anticipated. The 
department’s research programs and experimental, analytical and 
computational facilities are described at:

http://geology.ucdavis.edu/facilities

Candidates should submit a cover letter, CV, publication list, 
statements of research plans and teaching interests, and names and 
addresses of four references by December 20, 2015, Applications 
should be submitted online via the job listing JPF00738 at:

https://recruit.ucdavis.edu/apply/JPF00738

Inquiries may be addressed to the Search Committee Chair at 
[email protected]

C) FACULTY POSITION IN ASTROPHYSICS, UC DAVIS

The Department of Physics at the University of California, Davis 
invites applications for a full-time tenure-track faculty position 
in astrophysics. Fields of interest span a wide spectrum of 
astrophysical topics (from planetary sciences to cosmology) and 
approaches (theory, observation, simulations). This position 
represents the launch of a major initiative in astrophysics at UC 
Davis with the intent to broaden the focus of the current cosmology 
group, and offers an opportunity to become part of an exciting 
program in astrophysics and cosmology, with connections to 
planetary science. Multiple positions are anticipated over the next 
few years. The faculty at UC Davis has access to the telescopes 
at the Keck and Lick Observatories, and the University of California 
is a founding partner in the Thirty Meter Telescope.

Applications should be submitted online via the job listing
JPF00700 at:

https://recruit.ucdavis.edu/apply/JPF00700 

by November 15, 2015. Inquiries may be addressed to 
[email protected]. For further information 
about the department, please visit:

 http://www.physics.ucdavis.edu

———————————+

Send submissions to:

Anne Verbiscer, DPS Secretary ([email protected]) 

To unsubscribe visit http://aas.org/unsubscribe or email [email protected].

To change your address email [email protected].

—
Anne J. Verbiscer
Research Associate Professor
Department of Astronomy
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4325