AURA is a nonprofit consortium[3] of 46 US Universities and 4 International affiliates formed in 1957 to enable the US Federal Government to provide forefront astronomical facilities to the entire US academic community. Today AURA has both a National and International mission to enable astronomical discovery and promote broad engagement in exploring the Universe. AURA has a staff of over 1,500 scientists, engineers and administrators with an annual operating budget of approximately $350M.
Prior to his position as President of AURA, Mountain served as the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) Director in Baltimore, Maryland between September 2005 and March 2015 [4][5][6] leading the institute during NASA's last servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope (SM4) in 2009, and through the re-formulation of the James Webb Space Telescope project in 2010. While at STScI he used his discretionary Hubble Telescope time for two major science undertakings, the Multi-Cycle Treasury, and the Frontier Fields Programs. Before joining STScI in 2005, Dr. Mountain was the Director of the international Gemini Observatory and led the team that designed, built, and brought into operation the two 8m Gemini telescopes on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, and Cerro Pachón, Chile.[7][8]
His research interests have included star formation, advanced infrared instrumentation, and the capabilities of advanced telescopes to study exo-planets. Dr. Mountain appeared in several documentaries and TV shows on telescopes and astronomy. He received his degree in Physics in 1979, and Ph.D. in Astrophysics in 1983 both from Imperial College of Science and Technology, University of London. Dr. Mountain has published over 100 research papers, articles, and reports and is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the International Society for Optical Engineering (SPIE) and the Royal Astronomical Society and a member of the American Astronomical Society (AAS). Dr. Mountain is also the Telescope Scientist for NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, and Chair of European Observatory's (ESO) Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) Management Advisory Committee.[9]
Mountain became project scientist for the Gemini 8-meter telescopes project[11] in 1992, then was appointed director of the seven-nation Gemini project[12] in 1994. Mountain led the team that designed, built, and commissioned the two 8-meter-diameter Gemini telescopes atop Mauna Kea in Hawaii and Cerro Pachón in Chile.[5][10] The book Giant Telescopes: Astronomical Ambitions and the Promise of Technology[13] details the efforts involved in building the Gemini telescopes.[10] At Gemini's helm for more than a decade, Mountain assumed responsibility for the creation of the Gemini Observatory, which included formulating, implementing, and running the operations and development programs for the two telescopes.[10] Mountain also developed an adaptive optics group to help the Gemini telescopes remain at the forefront of observational infrared astronomy.[5][8][10]
In 2002, NASA appointed Mountain to the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Science Working Group[14] as the JWST telescope scientist.[10] Mountain worked with the JWST project[15] to downscale the telescope's primary mirror to an achievable diameter. He represented the science community on the Mirror Review Board, contributing to the selection of beryllium mirrors[16][17] for the telescope. He co-chaired the Science Assessment Team[18] in 2005 and was a member of the Test Assessment Team[19] in 2010. Mountain continues to work with NASA, the JWST project, the JWST instrument teams,[20] and the Science Working Group to ensure that the performance of JWST meets the requirements of the scientific community.[10]
In 2005, Mountain was appointed the director of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) by AURA in consultation with NASA.[5][10] As part of his effort to transform STScI into an adaptable multi-mission institution[22] and a modern, diverse workplace, Mountain reorganized STScI's internal management and oversaw the creation of the Science Mission Office,[23] the Project Management Organization, and the Future of the Workplace Committee[24] to advise the director on issues of inclusion and workplace culture.[10]
Matt Mountain gives two thumbs up at NASA's Johnson Space Center during Hubble's Servicing Mission 4 in 2009.
As STScI's director, Mountain collaborated with the astronomical community, NASA, and the crew of STS-125 to develop the science priorities for the Hubble Space Telescope's final servicing mission. He also represented the science community at NASA's Johnson Space Center during the mission's extra-vehicular activities in May 2009. After the servicing mission, Mountain initiated Hubble's Multi-Cycle Treasury Programs[25] (in 2010) and the Frontier Fields initiative[26] (in 2013).[10]
In 2003, Mountain received the Gabriela Mistral Medal for excellence in education from the Chilean Ministry of Education for the Gemini StarTeachers educational program. This was the first time the medal was awarded outside of Chile.[10][29]
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