Daily News

Five College Pritzen Lecture to Explore Connections in Space and Higher Education

NORTHAMPTON — Astronomer and Smith College Professor Suzan Edwards will deliver the Five College Jackie Pritzen Lecture, “Ashes to Ashes, Disk to Disk” on Tuesday, Sept. 25 in Seelye Hall, Room 106, at Smith College. This event is free and open to the public.

In “Ashes to Ashes,” Edwards will explore the theme of connections — in the universe through space and time, and within the Five College consortium through collaborating institutions and departments.

Edwards arrived at Smith College in 1980. For most of that time, she served as chair of the Five College Astronomy Senate, and has more recently served as chair of the Five College Astronomy Department. She is also a member of the American Astronomical Society, the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, and the International Astronomical Union. She has published many articles, most often in the Astrophysical Journal and the Astronomical Journal. Her scientific research is on the formation of young stars and proto-planetary systems using space and ground-based telescopes.

The annual Five College Jackie Pritzen Lecture is named for longtime consortium staff member Jackie Pritzen, who worked with many different faculty groups during her 25 years at the consortium. The lectures were initiated in tribute to the central role that faculty members play in furthering cooperation among the five institutions, and to celebrate a distinguished faculty member whose scholarship, teaching, and service continue that work.