January 5, 2022
Two professors in the University of Chicago Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics have been named 2022 American Astronomical Society Fellows. The AAS Fellows program was established in 2019 to recognize AAS members for their contributions toward the Society's mission of enhancing and sharing humanity's scientific understanding of the universe.
Professor Hsiao-Wen Chen was cited for fundamental work using quasar absorption-line observations to study the halo gas content of galaxies. Chen joined the faculty in 2005 and her research interests broadly cover issues concerning formation and evolution of galaxies across cosmic time. She has had an active role among the leadership of the Magellan Council, the Giant Magellan Telescope Science Advisory Committee, the Hubble Space Telescope and James Webb Space Telescope Programs, and the Adler Planetarium.
Professor Emeritus Richard Kron was cited for pioneering photometric studies of high-redshift galaxies and for service to the astronomy community through his dedicated career of leadership of optical surveys, particularly the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and the Dark Energy Survey. Kron retired last year after more than four decades on the faculty. His contributions to the University also include the creation of the astrophysics major and the project to digitize and explore the scientific potential of 100-year-old photographic images of the sky from the Yerkes Observatory.
Fellows are considered by the Board of Trustees for original research and publication, innovative contributions to astronomical techniques or instrumentation, significant contributions to education and public outreach, and noteworthy service to astronomy and to the Society itself. In 2021, Professor Joshua A. Frieman was named an AAS Fellow and Professor Emeritus Eugene Parker was named a Legacy Fellow.
Read more on this announcement from the AAS website.