Following an international search, Steve Keil has been named Director of the National Solar Observatory and Associate Director of NOAO. The choice was based on Steve's comprehensive and balanced view of NSO's role in solar physics and his plans and optimism for the future. He has substantial management experience and a demonstrated track record in developing financial support for solar research. Of all the candidates, he had the best understanding of what would be required to obtain community and staff consensus on the specifications for an Advanced Solar Telescope (AST) and to prepare a strong proposal for it. He is very aware of the "customers" for solar data and has innovative ideas about how to make data sets available that meet the needs of the different communities that require groundbased observations. Steve has a wide range of experience. His own research interests have recently emphasized high resolution observations of granulation, but he has also worked in a variety of other areas including solar activity, space weather, and several spacecraft experiments. He has been especially effective working with students.
Steve is well known to the NSO community since he has been resident at Sacramento Peak for many years, where he has headed the Air Force group of solar researchers. I am very pleased that he has agreed to lead the NSO program as it moves forward toward the AST, continues with the development of adaptive optics, and completes SOLIS and the upgrade of the GONG cameras. He will assume his new position on 1 April 1999.
Sidney C. Wolff