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Geoffrey Marcy

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Geoffrey Marcy
Marcy in 2007
Born
Geoffrey William Marcy

(1954-09-29) September 29, 1954 (age 69)
St. Clair Shores, Michigan, U.S.[3]
NationalityAmerican
Alma materUniversity of California, Los Angeles (B.A.)
University of California, Santa Cruz (Ph.D.)
Known forExtrasolar planet discoveries
AwardsHenry Draper Medal (2001)
Beatrice M. Tinsley Prize (2002)
Shaw Prize (2005)
Scientific career
FieldsAstronomy, Astrophysics
InstitutionsCarnegie Institution for Science
San Francisco State University
University of California, Berkeley
Doctoral advisorsGeorge H. Herbig[1] and Steven S. Vogt[2]

Geoffrey William Marcy (born September 29, 1954) is an American astronomer. He is one of the pioneers and leaders in the discovery and characterization of planets around other stars than the Sun. He was Professor of Astronomy at the University of California, Berkeley and an Adjunct Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the San Francisco State University before resigning in October 2015, having been found in violation of UC Berkeley policies against sexual harassment.[4] His research teams are recognized for discovering more extrasolar planets than any others, including 70 out of the first 100 known exoplanets[5] and also the first planetary system around a Sun-like star, Upsilon Andromedae.[6][7] Marcy was a co-Investigator on the NASA Kepler mission[8] that discovered over 4000 exoplanets. Early collaborators include R. Paul Butler, Debra Fischer and Steven S. Vogt.[3][9] Later collaborators include Jason Wright, Andrew Howard, Katie Peek, John Johnson, Erik Petigura, Lea Hirsch and the Kepler Science Team.[8]

Early life and education

Marcy graduated from Granada Hills High School in Granada Hills, California, in 1972.[10] He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts summa cum laude with a double major in physics and astronomy from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1976.[11] He then completed a doctorate in astronomy in 1982 at the University of California, Santa Cruz,[12] with much of his work done at Lick Observatory.

Academic career

Marcy has held teaching and research positions, first at the Carnegie Institution of Washington (then the Mt. Wilson and Las Campanas Observatories) as a Carnegie Fellow from 1982 to 1984.[10] He then worked as an Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy from 1984 to 1996 and then as a Distinguished University Professor from 1997 to 1999 at the San Francisco State University.[13]

Marcy was a Professor of Astronomy and the Watson and Marilyn Alberts Chair for SETI[3][14] at the University of California, Berkeley from 1999 until his resignation in October 2015.[15] From 2000 to 2012, he was the Director of UC Berkeley's Center for Integrative Planetary Science. Marcy was also one of the project leaders of the Breakthrough Initiatives that will search for intelligent life in the universe, using large radio and optical telescopes.[16][17]

Marcy and his team confirmed Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz's discovery of the first extrasolar planet orbiting a Sun-like star—51 Pegasi b.[18] Other achievements have included discovering the first multiple planet system around a star similar to our own (Upsilon Andromedae),[6][7] the first transiting planet around another star, simultaneously with David Charbonneau and Timothy Brown (HD209458b), the first extrasolar planet orbiting beyond 5 AU (55 Cancri d),[19] and the first Neptune-sized planets (Gliese 436b and 55 Cancri e).[20] Marcy was a Co-Investigator of the NASA Kepler mission[8] that discovered over 4000 exoplanets, most being smaller than 4 times the size of Earth. His team, led by Erik Petigura and Andrew Howard, showed that approximately 20% of Sun-like stars have a planet of 1–2 times the size of Earth and receive incident stellar light within a factor of 4 of the light the Earth receives from the Sun, making them warm planets, many of which accommodate liquid water.[21] Marcy devotes much of his time to the search for intelligent life in the universe, using radio and optical telescopes.

Sexual harassment

An investigation by a University of California, Berkeley panel found that Geoffrey Marcy had sexually harassed multiple female students between 2001 and 2010.[22][23][24] Marcy posted an "Open Letter to the Astronomy Community" stating a "sincere apology" for "mistakes" made.[25] In addition, UC Berkeley "imposed real consequences on Professor Geoff Marcy by establishing a zero tolerance policy regarding future behavior and by stripping him of the procedural protections that all other faculty members enjoy", according to a university statement.[26] Nonetheless, some on campus, including colleagues and former students, consider that Marcy was "inadequately disciplined for inappropriate behavior with students."[26] Twenty-three Berkeley astronomy faculty and emeritus faculty signed a letter saying that "we believe that Geoff Marcy cannot perform the functions of a faculty member".[27][28]

On October 12, 2015, after several days of pressure from fellow faculty, graduate students, and the academic astronomy community at large, Marcy resigned as Principal Investigator of the Breakthrough Listen project.[29] Two days later, on October 14, 2015, he resigned his professorship at UC Berkeley.[4][15]

Personal

Marcy lives with his wife, Susan Kegley,[30] in California.[3]

In the media

  • Profiled in the New York Times Profiles in Science, "Finder of New Worlds”, 2014[3]
  • Appeared in the PBS Nova episode "Alien Planets Revealed", airing in 2014[31]
  • Appeared in the PBS Nova episode "Finding Life Beyond Earth", airing in 2012[32]
  • National Academy of Sciences InterViews, 2004[33]
  • Guest on the "Late Show with David Letterman April 12, 2001
  • "Extrasolar Planets", Astronomy Magazine, vol. 28, #3, cover story with R. Paul Butler, March 2000
  • Featured on History Channel's "The Universe" programs.
  • Interviewed by Planetary Radio.
  • New York Times article: "In a Golden Age of Discovery, Faraway Worlds Beckon", February 9, 1997[34]
  • Appeared in the PBS Nova episode "Hunt for Alien Worlds" originally airing in February 1997
  • Appeared in the BBC Horizon episode "The Planet Hunters" airing in March 1996
  • Time Magazine cover story, February 5, 1996[35][36]
  • The MacNeil-Lehrer News Hour, January 18, 1996
  • ABC Nightline October 20, 1995[37]

Honors

See also

References

  1. ^ "Autobiography of Geoffrey Marcy". The Shaw Prize. Shaw Prize Foundation. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  2. ^ Tim Stephens (September 4, 2007). "Major gift supports crucial piece of Automated Planet Finder". University of California, Santa Cruz. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
  3. ^ a b c d e Overbye, Dennis (May 12, 2013). "Finder of New Worlds". New York Times. Retrieved May 13, 2014.
  4. ^ a b Nanette Asimov (October 14, 2015). "Embattled astronomer resigns from UC Berkeley post amid sex harassment scandal". San Francisco Chronicle.
  5. ^ Marcy, G.W. (2014). "Technology Enabling the First 100 Exoplanets". American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts. 223 (#91.03).
  6. ^ a b "A Family of Giants: First System of Multiple Planets Found around a Sun-like Star". NASA Science News. NASA. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
  7. ^ a b "SFSU Public Affairs Press Release: First system of multiple planets found around a Sun-like star". San Francisco State University. Public Affairs Office at San Francisco State University. Retrieved August 16, 2015.
  8. ^ a b c "Kepler Team". Kepler: A Search For Habitable Planets. Ames Research Center. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  9. ^ Lemonick, Michael (December 16, 2009). "Super-Earth: Astronomers Find a Watery New Planet". Time. Retrieved December 17, 2009.
  10. ^ a b "Autobiography of Geoffrey Marcy". The Shaw Prize. Shaw Prize Foundation. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  11. ^ "UCLA Spotlight". Spotlight.ucla.com. UCLA Marketing and Communications. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
  12. ^ "Alumni Achievement Award". University of California Santa Cruz Alumni. Regents of the University of California. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
  13. ^ "Multiple planets discovered around Upsilon Andromeda". Harvard-Smithsonain Center for Astrophysics. Retrieved August 24, 2015.
  14. ^ Dvorsky, George (June 8, 2012). "Meet SETI's new boss: Geoff Marcy, the planet hunter". Retrieved June 14, 2012.
  15. ^ a b Overbye, Dennis (October 14, 2015). "Geoffrey Marcy to Resign From Berkeley Astronomy Department". New York Times. Retrieved October 15, 2015.
  16. ^ "Leaders". Breakthrough Initiatives. Breakthrough Prize Foundation. Retrieved August 24, 2015.
  17. ^ "Yuri Milner and Stephen Hawking Announce $100 Million Breakthrough Initiative to Dramatically Accelerate Search for Intelligent Life in the Universe". Breakthrough Initiatives. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
  18. ^ Marcy, G.W. Butler, R.P., Williams, E.; et al. (1997). "The Planet around 51 Pegasi". Astrophys. Journal. 481 (926). {{cite journal}}: Explicit use of et al. in: |last1= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  19. ^ Marcy, G.W., Butler, R.P., Fischer, D. A.; et al. (2002). "A Planet at 5 AU around 55 Cancri". Astrophysical Journal. 581 (1375). {{cite journal}}: Explicit use of et al. in: |last1= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  20. ^ Britt, Robert Roy. "Two Neptune-Mass Planets Found, Earth-Size Worlds Next". Space.com. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
  21. ^ Petigura, E.A., Howard, A.W., Marcy, G.W. (2013). "Prevalence of Earth-size planets Orbiting Sun-like stars". Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. 110 (19273).{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  22. ^ Overbye, Dennis (October 10, 2015). "Geoffrey Marcy, Astronomer at Berkeley, Apologizes for Behavior". New York Times. Retrieved October 11, 2015.
  23. ^ Andersen, Ross (October 10, 2015). "The Consequences of Sexual Harassment in Astronomy". The Atlantic. Retrieved October 10, 2015.
  24. ^ Mervis, Jeffrey (October 9, 2015). "Berkeley astronomer found guilty of sexual harassment". Science Insider. Retrieved October 10, 2015.
  25. ^ Marcy, Geoff (October 7, 2015). "An Open Letter to the Astronomy Community" (PDF). Retrieved October 12, 2015.
  26. ^ a b Leff, Lisa (October 12, 2015). "UC Berkeley says astronomer was appropriately disciplined". AP News. Retrieved October 12, 2015.
  27. ^ Overbye, Dennis (October 13, 2015). "Geoffrey Marcy's Berkeley Astronomy Colleagues Call for His Dismissal". New York Times.
  28. ^ "Letter from UC Berkeley Astronomy faculty to Geoff Marcy" (PDF). October 12, 2015.
  29. ^ http://www.breakthroughinitiatives.org/News/2
  30. ^ "Susan Kegley, PhD". Pesticide Research Institute. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
  31. ^ "NOVA - Alien Planets Revealed". pbs.org. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
  32. ^ "NOVA - Finding Life Beyond Earth". pbs.org. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
  33. ^ "InterViews". National Academy of Sciences. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
  34. ^ Noble Wilford, John (February 9, 1997). "In a Golden Age of Discovery, Faraway Worlds Beckon". New York Times. New York Times. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  35. ^ Lemonick, Michael D. (February 5, 1996). "Searching for Other Worlds". content.time.com. Time Magazine. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  36. ^ Dorminey, Bruce (2002). Distant Wanderers: The Search for Planets Beyond the Solar System. New York: Copernicus Books. p. 51. ISBN 0-387-95074-5.
  37. ^ Dorminey, Bruce (2002). Distant Wanderers: The Search for Planets Beyond the Solar System. New York: Copernicus Books. p. 52. ISBN 0-387-95074-5.
  38. ^ Goldsmith, Donald (1997). Worlds Unnumbered: The Search for ExtraSolar Planets. Sausalito, CA: University Science Books. p. 1. ISBN 0-935702-97-0.
  39. ^ "Henry Draper Medal". National Academy of Sciences. Retrieved February 24, 2011.
  40. ^ "Member Directory". National Academy of Sciences. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
  41. ^ "2005 Announcement and Citation". The Shaw Prize. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
  42. ^ "Honorary Degree Recipients from 1997 to present". University of Delaware. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
  43. ^ "Sagan Prize Recipients". wonderfest.org. 2011. Retrieved September 10, 2011.
  44. ^ "Book of Members, 1780–2010: Chapter A" (PDF). American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Retrieved April 13, 2011.
  45. ^ "PNAS Announces Six 2013 Cozzareli Prize Recipients". National Academy of Sciences. Retrieved March 6, 2014.
  46. ^ "Miller Professors". Miller Institute for Basic Research in Science. University of California, Berkeley. Retrieved August 29, 2015.

External links

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