DECEMBER 2019 - TOPICS

Short News A Recognition for Academician Stamatios Krimizis Yervan Terzian Obituary (1939-2019) IAU membership applications for 2020 Dr. M. Georgoulis presents his newly edited book Event to honor Greek Women Astronomers IAU prize for the best PhD of 2019 Student and Postdoctoral Research Opportunities Abroad Upcoming Astronomy Meetings in Greece About this Newsletter

1. Short News

The Society wishes to remind its Junior Members of the December 15 travel grant deadline for meeting trips planned for the first half of 2020. Notice that every PhD student and every meeting (Conference, Workshop or School) is eligible for partial reimbursement of expenses, provided that the meeting is deemed paramount for the completion of the student's PhD Thesis. More information, including the travel grant request form, is available here. We would like to congratulate prof. Kanaris Tsinganos, who has been invited as a visiting professor at the University of Turin in Italy, to teach a course on plasma physics and astrophysics to the graduate students of its Department of Physics. With this opportunity, and as this issue is the last one of the year 2019, the GC of the Society would like to acknowledge prof. Tsinganos coordinating efforts for the organization of various events in Greece during 2019, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the International Astronomical Union (IAU). The Society would like to congratulate Prof. Christos Efthymiopoulos, a former vice-president of our Hel.A.S., who has recently moved to the Department of Mathematics of the University of Padova. The Society extends its best wishes to Prof. Efthymiopoulos, for further success in his professional pursuits. The Society would like to congratulate our member, Argyris Koumtzis, who received his physics degree from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki with the highest distinction, graduating top of his class. He is now pursuing phd studies in solar physics at the Gottingen Max Plank Institute. Our Society extends its best wishes to Argyris Koumtzis for further success.

2. A recognition for Academician Stamatios Krimizis

Our Society is proud to announce that Academician Stamatios Krimizis, distinguished member of Hel.A.S., is going to be honoured by the cultural and fine arts organization “ΕΠΙΛΟΓΟΣ” for his lifelong contribution to Space Sciences during a ceremony that will take place on December 10th, at the premises of the Benakis Museum, 138 Pireaos Str. During this ceremony the volume «ΕΠΙΛΟΓΟΣ 2019» will be presented, a publication which records all cultural activities that took place in Greece during the year 2019. The President of the Democracy will honour this event. The GC of the Society extends its warmest congratulations to Academician Stamatios Krimizis for this wonderful honour, acknowledging his wide contributions towards the advancement of Space Sciences, worldwide and in Greece.

3. Yervant Terzian Obituary (1939-2019)

The GC of the Society would like to inform all members on the passing away, on November 25 2019, of Yervant Terzian, the Tish Professor Emeritus in Physical Sciences at Cornell University and a Founding Member of our Society. Over the past few years Prof. Terzian had suffered multiple strokes which had affected his health and mobility severely. Prof. Terzian obtained his BSc from the American Univ. of Cairo in 1960 and his PhD from the Univ. of Indiana in 1965. He was faculty at Cornell University since 1967. During the 20 years he served as a Chairman of the Astronomy Department at Cornell (1979-1999) Prof. Terzian was instrumental in an unprecedented expansion of the Department, both in terms of new faculty hires as well as in its involvement in major research projects. He had chaired on numerous scientific committees in the US and abroad and he was recognised internationally by his contributions towards the advancement of astronomy. Among the many awards he had received was NASA’s highest honour, the Distinguished Public Service Medal. Having a mother from Greece, Prof. Terzian had great interest in supporting Greek astronomy in all levels. In 1998 he Chaired the “Greek Astronomy in 2000+” committee, which produced a very valuable report on the steps that had to be taken to further improve astrophysics research in Greece. His kind and giving personality has touched many of us over his long career. He will remain an example for his attention to scientific excellence, his ability to lead, as well as his relentless optimism and energy. A brief video documentary created by the friends of Prof. Terzian on the occasion of his 70th birthday is available here.

4. IAU membership applications for 2020

The call for IAU membership application for 2020 is open. Applications of Individual and Junior membership to the Union are encouraged. Interested candidates should contact the National Member in the country of work. The contact list is here. For more details, including deadlines and application criteria, please revisit the following announcements: Individual member application announcement. Junior Member applications announcement.

5. Dr M. Georgoulis presents his newly edited book

Dr. M. Georgoulis, former secretary and member of our Society, will present his book entitled 'Space weather", (eds. Papadopoulos) on December 4 at 19:00, at the Public bookstore, Syntagma square. Speakers include Academician Stamatios Krimizis, Prof. Loukas Vlahos and Dr. Helen Dara.

6. Event to honor Greek Women Astronomers

On Wednesday, December 18th 2019, at 19:00, in the auditorium of the Eugenides Foundation, in Athens an event will be held to honor Greek Women Astronomers. This event is one of the main actions of the International Astronomical Union’s (1919 - 2019, IAU100) - Women and girls in Astronomy - to commemorate its 100th anniversary and focuses on gender equality, for a world without obstacles. Following a brief introduction by the Organizing Committee, a talk will be given by Dr Athena Coustenis, Research Director at the French Center for Scientific Research and the Paris Observatory, entitled "Exploring our solar system and searching for habitable worlds». A reception (20.20) will follow.

7. IAU prize for the best PhD of 2019

The IAU prize for the best PhD of 2019 is open for applications. The deadline is 15 December 2019. The application form is available here. For the conditions and details of the application look here.

8. Student and Postdoctoral Research Opportunities Abroad

The list below may be refreshed or updated with further established lists: The Institute for Fundamental Physics of the Universe (IFPU,  www.ifpu.it/), Trieste, Italy, invites applications for 5 postdoctoral research positions to start in the Fall of 2020. The topics are astroparticle physics, early universe, fundamental interaction etc. For more information look here. Any Member of the Society who wishes to contribute another credible link with opportunities, or individual opportunities that will, however, be shown in a single-liner format as above, is encouraged to contact the Secretary of the Society.

9. Upcoming Astronomy Meetings in Greece

PHAROS Conference 2020 - the multi-messenger physics and astrophysics of neutron stars 30 March to 3 April 2020 Patras, Greece

10. About this Newsletter

This Newsletter was sent to all members of Hel.A.S. who have e-mail access. The next edition of the Newsletter will be mailed around January 1, 2020.  Please send your announcements (e.g., appointments / departures, job openings, research opportunities, awards, conferences in Greece) or comments before December 25, 2019. If you do not wish to receive future issues of this Newsletter or the e-mail address to which it was sent is not your preferred one, please inform the Secretary of Hel.A.S. at secretary@helas.gr.