Dr. Sconzert's guest is Dr. Amanda Bauer is the Deputy Director of the Yerkes Future Foundation and lead the science, research, telescope operations, and education programs of the Observatory.
Dr. Bauer brings to Yerkes a background as a research astronomer, leading science communicator, and an innovative team builder with years of experience leading large-scale scientific enterprises. Dr. Bauer will assume the position in July, and her appointment marks yet another milestone in realizing the Observatory's ambitious plans, which began when the Yerkes Future Foundation (YFF) secured ownership of the Observatory from the University of Chicago in 2020.
In her newly created role at Yerkes Dr. Bauer will serve as both the overall Deputy Director of the Yerkes Future Foundation and lead the science, research, telescope operations, and education programs of the Observatory.
Dr. Bauer has a track record of engaging diverse communities and scientific leadership in the United States and abroad. She is currently the Deputy Director of Operations for the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, one of the largest and most anticipated astronomy projects under construction in the world. In 2015, while serving as the first-ever Outreach Officer for the Australian Astronomy Observatory (AAO) in Sydney, she was named one of the Top 5 Under 40 Researchers and Science Communicators in Australia.