Candidate Statement: Ryan C. Hickox

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Nominated Office: Nominating Committee

Affiliation: Dartmouth College

Position/title: Assistant Professor

PhD institution: Harvard University (2007)

Areas of scientific interest:

  • Active galactic nuclei
  • galaxy evolution
  • large-scale structure of the Universe
  • the cosmic X-ray background, X-ray binary pulsars, analysis of data from a range of observatories including Chandra, NuSTAR, XMM-Newton, Hubble, Spitzer and Herschel as well as ground-based spectroscopy

AAS positions & dates: n/a

Other relevant positions and experience:

  • Member of Science and Technology Definition Team for the X-ray Surveyor Mission Concept Study (2016-)
  • Organizer of five major international conference and workshops at Durham University and Dartmouth College (2010-2016)
  • Panelist for Guest Observer review for multiple NASA missions (Swift, Chandra, NuSTAR)
  • Panelist for NSF-AST proposal reviews (2013)
  • External grant and proposal reviewer for the NSF, German Research Foundation, European Research Commission, Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research, South Africa National Research Foundation, CONICYT (Chile) and the Israel Science Foundation
  • Member of NRAO Science Review Panel (2014-2016)
  • Member of NOAO Extragalactic TAC (2011-2013)

Candidate Statement: The AAS is extraordinarily important to astronomy, as it both advocates our common interests and brings us together as a community. I attended my first of many Annual Meetings early in graduate school 13 years ago, and have always loved the common spirit of discovery that the AAS fosters. I would be excited by the opportunity to give back to the AAS as a member of the Nominating Committee.

As astronomers, we are hugely fortunate to have achieved a remarkably rapid pace of discovery, and we have great opportunities on the horizon: new observational and computational facilities, progress in education and public communication, and a new generation of talented scientists entering the field. However we also some great challenges: securing the best possible resources for funding future science, maintaining strong relationships with the public, and perhaps most importantly, ensuring equal opportunities and a supportive environment for all members of the field.

Taking advantage of these opportunities and facing these challenges requires strong leadership, particularly through the AAS as our flagship professional society. It is also critical that the voices of all our members be heard, from large government research labs to smaller teaching oriented colleges and beyond, in the US and around the world. My experiences at SAO, at Durham University in the UK, and now at Dartmouth College have shown me the perspectives of astronomers in these very different settings, with some different individual priorities but also common interests we all share. As a member of the Nominating Committee, I would look forward to seeking out strong leaders for AAS elections from all across our field to help guide astronomy into our exciting and challenging future.