Spring

LPL is gearing up to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing with a focus on the contributions that LPL scientists made to mapping the Moon and supporting the first lunar spacecraft missions. If you have an interest in learning about the role Gerard P. Kuiper played in bringing planetary science to Tucson, consider adding Derek Sears' biography of G.P. Kuiper to your summer reading list: Gerard P. Kuiper and the Rise of Modern Planetary Science (Derek W.G. Sears, 368p, University of Arizona Press, 2019). More information about the founding of LPL is available from Under Desert Skies: How Tucson Mapped the Way to the Moon and Planets by Melissa L. Sevigny (184p, University of Arizona Press, 2016). Use discount code AZFLR to receive a 30% discount on your order from UA Press; the Sears biography will be for sale and available at a 40% discount at Summer Science Saturday.

Thanks to the generosity of the late Shirley Curson, LPL has been able to fund summer travel for students for the last few years. However, the number of excellent applications for that award made it clear that there is a real need for additional funding to help LPL students and staff trying to explore new avenues of research and develop new skills. Dan Cavanagh, chair of LPL’s External Advisory Board, has provided additional support for the last several years, but now the entire Advisory Board has made a commitment to fund career-development travel for both students and staff. We have made a call for proposals to students and staff and anticipate bringing you the experiences of our grant awardees in the Fall 2019 newsletter. If you’re not on the Advisory Board, but would like to contribute to this fund, please do—just make a donation to LPL, and include a note indicating the purpose as "career development travel."