Personnel Movements

Andy Hide returned to the UK unfortunately only after having spent just over a year with ING as Head of the Telescope and Instrument Group. Andy’s vacancy has been filled by Diego Cano, who joined ING in September.

After many years at ING Doug Gray also decided to returned to the UK. It will be particularly difficult to replace his vast knowledge and experience of the infrastructure that is key to ING.

Jürg Rey, who was until recently heading the group of Telescope Operators, has assumed the role of Duty Head of the Operations Group, while Juan Carlos Guerra has brought the Telescope Operator Group back up to strength again.

In the software group Stephen Goodsell decided to take up a position at Durham University to work on adaptive optics related projects and to progress his PhD. Vacant positions in the software group, some related to new development projects have been filled by Niko Apostolakos, Jure Skvarc and Sergio Pico.

Betty Vander Elst assisted the Administration group for some time on a part-time basis, but left ING during spring of this year.

Also the Astronomy Group has seen significant changes. Support Astronomers Almudena Zurita and Paco Prada, as well as Marco Azzaro (Telescope Operator) have started a new life in Granada, while Illona Söchting moved to Oxford to work on the Gemini telescope project. Mischa Schirmer and Samantha Rix, both with extensive experience in observational astronomy, have joined the team.

All those who have left ING and have worked hard to make ING into the successful observatory it is today are wished well in their new carreers. ¤