The American Astronomical Society (AAS) honored four scientists affiliated with UC Santa Cruz for outstanding contributions to the field. At this week's AAS national meeting, the society named UC Observatories Director Bruce Macintosh and two alumni, Laura Lopez and Mark Phillips, among the 24 new fellows chosen for 2025.
In addition, professor Puragra "Raja" GuhaThakurta was honored with the AAS Education Prize in recognition of his "outstanding contributions to the education of the public, students, and the next generation of professional astronomers." He has also been a AAS Fellow since 2021.
Being named a AAS Fellow is an honor bestowed on less than 0.5% of the society's membership each year and recognizes extraordinary achievement and service in the form of original research and publications, innovative contributions to astronomical techniques or instrumentation, significant contributions to education and public outreach, and noteworthy service to astronomy and to the society itself.
Macintosh, based at UC Santa Cruz where the observatories are headquartered, was cited for pioneering the science of direct imaging of exoplanets, including their discovery and spectroscopy. He was also honored for leading innovative high-contrast instrumentation projects, mentoring the next generation of scientists, and performing exceptional public service to the field of astronomy.
Lopez, who earned her master's degree and Ph.D. in astronomy and astrophysics at UC Santa Cruz, was cited for outstanding research contributions in the multiwavelength study of supernovae, compact objects, star formation, the interstellar medium, and galaxy evolution. She was also honored for extensive contributions in advancing equity and inclusion in astronomy and physics through transformative mentorship programs. Lopez has been an astronomy professor at Ohio State University since 2015.
Phillips, another UC Santa Cruz astronomy Ph.D. graduate, was cited for pioneering work in supernova physics and establishing Type Ia supernovae as standard candles, which enabled the accurate measurement of the Hubble-Lemaître constant and the discovery of the universe's accelerated expansion and dark energy. Phillips was also honored for improving the classification of active galaxies, and for years of service to the astronomical community.
The AAS Education Prize was given to GuhaThakurta "for the breadth and innovation of his outreach, education, and mentoring work, including programs that reach a wide range of learners, both in his local community and worldwide." The society cited his efforts to provide new and beneficial ways for scientists, students, and members of the public to interact through the Creating Equity in STEAM (CrEST) initiatives at UC Santa Cruz.
GuhaThakurta founded and serves as faculty director of CrEST, which manages the Science Internship Program, Shadow the Scientists, and Python & Research Tutorial series. Having been actively involved in education and outreach for more than four decades, GuhaThakurta said, "This wonderful prize feels very validating. It means a lot to me that the value and impact of the education and outreach that I feel so passionately about is being recognized by AAS."
The full list of 2025 AAS fellows was announced on January 13, and all the recipients of this year's AAS awards and prizes are named in the society's January 16 announcement.
