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The Director's Award
The Director's Award is awarded at the Director's discretion in the form of a plaque to an outstanding observer who contributes to special observing projects.
2007 - Presented at the 96th Spring Meeting in Calgary, Alberta, Canada:
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| Vance Petriew receives the Director's award from Arne Henden. Photo Credit: James Edgar, Regina Centre, RASC |
Vance Petriew of Saskatchewan, Canada
... for his leadership of the Comparison Star Database Team, devoting numerous hours in the documentation
of every comparison star currently used by the AAVSO. Vance also
utilized his database skills in the creation of the Variable
Standards Database, a masterful relational database of
the comparison stars that can be updated in perpetuity.
All the while, Vance has been a major observational contributor
to our International Database, showing his enthusiasm and
pursuit of all aspects of variable star astronomy. MORE
2005 - Presented at the 94th Spring Meeting in Las Cruces, NM:
Michael A. Simonsen of Imlay City, Michigan, USA
...for valuable contributions of variable star observations during campaigns in support of professional ground-based and satellite programs, and a cumulative total of nearly 42,000 visual observations contributed to the AAVSO International Database since 1998... MORE
2004 - Presented at the 93rd Spring Meeting in Berkeley, CA:
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| Chris Stephan receives the Director's Award from Interim Director Elizabeth Waagen, in Berkeley, CA |
Christopher Stephan of Coos Bay, Oregon, USA
...for his dedicated contributions
since 1973 to special observing programs and the AAVSO International Database,
for his inspiring and mentoring of new observers, and his astronomy education
efforts, particularly for young people.
Arto Oksanen of Muurame, Finland
... for his meticulous CCD high-speed photometry
of objects whenever possible, providing vital contributions to special
observing programs and the AAVSO International Database, and for his outreach
and mentoring of new CCD observers in his native Finland.
2003 - Presented at the 92nd Spring Meeting in Tucson, AZ:
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| Richard Huziak receives the Director's Award in Tucson, AZ |
Richard Huziak of Canada
...for his contribution of timely variable star observations during special
observing runs with ground-based and satellite instruments and a
cumulative total of nearly 25,000 since 1980, his work in the investigation
of comparison and field stars suspected of variability, in helping to
improve charts and comparison star sequences, and his fostering of variable
star observing through his many dynamic talks to RASC Centres and other
astronomy groups this past year.
Gary Poyner of England
...for his meticulous observing of variable stars (over 100,000 observations
since 1991) and his contribution of timely and often critical observations
during special observing runs with ground-based and satellite instruments,
making immediate observations at the request of Headquarters to confirm
potential discoveries, and, as Director of the Variable Star Section of
the British Astronomical Association, mentoring observers, fostering
productive collaborations and amity among variable star observing
associations worldwide, and working to maintain and improve the level of
variable star observing worldwide.
2002 - William Albrecht USA
Thomas A. Cragg Australia
Rod Stubbings Australia
Richard E. Wend USA
AAVSO 91st Spring Meeting, Waikoloa Beach, Hawaii
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| Stephen D. O'Connor receives the Director's Award from Janet Mattei and Lee Ann Wilson at the 2001 Fall Meeting. | 2001 - Stephen D. O'Connor Canada
Announced at the AAVSO 90th Spring Meeting in Madison, WI,
but presented at the Annual Meeting in Somerville, MA
"... for providing valuable and often pivotal data during special
observing runs, for his contributions to AAVSO chart work, and for
maximizing the value of his observations through very careful planning
of his observing program." [full text of citation]
2000 - Ronald E. Zissell USA
AAVSO 89th Spring Meeting, Huntsville, Alabama
1999 - Charles E. Scovil USA
AAVSO 88th Spring Meeting, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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| Charles Scovil receives the Director's Award at the Spring Meeting in Toronto, Canada. |
1998 - Gene A. Hanson, II USA
AAVSO 87th Spring Meeting, Boulder, Colorado
1997 - Albert F. Jones New Zealand
AAVSO 86th Spring Meeting, Sion and St. Luc, Switzerland
1997 - Michel Grenon Switzerland
AAVSO 86th Spring Meeting, Sion and St. Luc, Switzerland
1997 - Thomas A. Burrows USA
AAVSO 86th Spring Meeting, Sion and St. Luc, Switzerland
1996 - William Gregory Dillon USA
AAVSO 85th Spring Meeting, Atlanta, Georgia
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| John Bortle (center) receives the Director's Award in 1995 from Janet Mattei. He is flanked by Observing Achievement Award winners, L to R: Jean Gunther, Arthur Perlmutter, and Robert Stewart. |
1995 - John Emerson Bortle USA
AAVSO 84th Spring Meeting, Stamford, Connecticut
1994 - M. Daniel Overbeek South Africa
AAVSO 83rd Spring Meeting, Houston, Texas
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| The first winner of the director's award, Danie Overbeek, is flanked on the left by AAVSO director Janet Mattei and on the right by Hilda Luft, a long-time friend of the AAVSO and wife of Hubert Luft, a member since 1943. |
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