Emily Levesque & John Mulchaey
About the event
Emily Levesque and John Mulchaey were out of this world!
JUNE 14, 2022
Award-winning astronomer Dr. Emily Levesque, shared stories of modern-day stargazers, the people willing to adventure across high mountaintops and to some of the most remote corners of the planet, all in the name of science. In The Last Stargazers, Levesque shows how astronomers in this scrappy and evolving field are going beyond the machines to infuse creativity and passion into the stars and space and inspires us all to peer skyward in pursuit of the universe's secrets. Her book is a love letter to astronomy and an affirmation of the crucial role that humans can and must play in the future of scientific discovery. Dr. John Mulchaey, director and the Crawford H. Greenewalt Chair of the Carnegie Observatories, one of the world’s premier astronomy institutions was the evening’s moderator.
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Emily Levesque
Dr. Emily Levesque is an astronomy professor at the University of Washington. Her research is focused on understanding how the most massive stars in the universe evolve and die. She has observed for upward of fifty nights on many of the planet’s largest telescopes and flown over the Antarctic stratosphere in an experimental aircraft for her research. Her academic accolades include the 2014 Annie Jump Cannon Award, a 2017 Alfred P. Sloan fellowship, a 2019 Cottrell Scholar award, and the 2020 Newton Lacy Pierce Prize. She earned a bachelor’s degree in physics from MIT and a PhD in astronomy from the University of Hawaii.
The Last Stargazers shares the stories of modern-day stargazers, the people willing to adventure across high mountaintops and to some of the most remote corners of the planet, taking readers inside the most powerful telescopes in the world, and explores the future of astronomy as we gain the ability to see farther beyond our planet than ever before. It’s a witty, honest, and engaging love letter to astronomy and the human role in scientific discovery.
The Last Stargazers is an Amazon Best Book of 2020, a Finalist for the PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award, a Finalist for the AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books, and a 2021 Alex Award official nominee.
John Mulchaey
Dr. John Mulchaey is the director and the Crawford H. Greenewalt Chair of the Carnegie Observatories. He investigates groups and clusters of galaxies, elliptical galaxies, dark matter—the invisible material that makes up most of the universe—active galaxies and black holes. He is also a scientific editor for The Astrophysical Journal and is actively involved in public outreach and education.
In addition to his astronomy work, John is also an accomplished songwriter. He began his songwriting career at an early age by re-writing lyrics to popular songs on the radio. He wrote his first original song at age nine and has since had his songs recorded by many artists, including: Nicole Scherzinger, Esmee Denters, Nobody's Angel, Hadas and many others. His songs have been featured in many television shows such as America's Next Top Model, Six Feet Under, The Shield, Rosewell, Las Vegas, Dollhouse, and Dawson's Creek and movies such as Scream 4, Valentine, The Young Unknowns, and Bar Hopping.
