Colliding galaxies, supermassive black holes, and the star formation history of the universe keep CSI astrophysics professor Charles Liu awake at night.
“And grading papers, too,” he jokes. “All in a good way, though.”
Professor Liu likes to say that he enjoyed college so much that he decided to stay there his whole life. Teaching, research, and working with students have given him great professional joy; and last month, the American Astronomical Society (AAS), the world’s largest professional organization of astronomers and astrophysicists, awarded Charles its 2024 Education Prize.
The American Astronomical Society Education Prize, according to the Society, “recognizes outstanding contributions to the education of the public, students, and/or the next generation of professional astronomers,” and was first awarded in 1992 to the astronomer Carl Sagan. “There’s a common misconception that the scientific community doesn’t think good teaching is important,” said Professor Liu. “In fact, the astronomical community has strongly supported and promoted education for decades. I’m tremendously honored and humbled to be chosen for this prize by my peers and colleagues.” Read more...
