[mmaimcal] AURA announces selection of David Silva as NOAO Director

[Al Wootten]

http://www.aura-astronomy.org/nv/nuresult.asp?nuid=167

AURA announces selection of David Silva as NOAO Director

March 18, 2008

Today, AURA announced the selection of Dr. David Silva to lead the 
National Optical Astronomy Observatory. AURA will submit Dr. Silva's 
name to the National Science Foundation for final approval as NOAO 
Director, and a key person in AURA's cooperative agreement with the NSF. 
AURA began it's search for the NOAO Directorship in June 2007. AURA 
received a number of applications from highly qualified candidates 
and conducted in-depth discussions to narrow the selection to Dr. Silva.

Dr. Silva received his PhD from the University of Michigan in 1991 
and is presently acting as Observatory Scientist with the Thirty Meter 
Telescope project based in Pasadena, California. He has also served as 
an AURA Senior Scientist at NOAO and has worked in several capacities 
for the European Southern Observatory. Dr. Silva succeeds Todd Boroson 
who has served ably as interim Director since April 2007.

In making this announcement, Dr. William Smith, President of AURA 
said "Dave has more than 15 years of service at publicly funded, open 
access observatories. His strategic leadership and management experience 
will be a great asset to AURA in general and will move NOAO into an 
exciting future." Dr. Michael Shull, Chairman of the AURA Board, said 
"The AURA Board and Observatories Council are immensely grateful to 
Todd Boroson for steering NOAO on a steady course, and we look forward 
to David Silva's experience and energy in taking the US Observatories 
into new ventures next decade."

It is anticipated that Dr. Silva will begin his term on July 7.