
Astronomy Newsletter
Message from the Chair

At long last, we are resuming the publication of the Astronomy Department newsletter! I am sorry for the hiatus and grateful for the efforts of Jake Keister, who has joined us part-time as our communications coordinator, without whom this would not have been possible. While we could in principle report on two years of activities, we are focusing this newsletter on recent activities and achievements to be as up-to-date as possible. I should take a moment, however, to note a couple of highlights from the 2023-24 academic year, including wonderful visits by two Iben Lecturers, professor Marcia Rieke from the University of Arizona and professor Jo Dunkley from Princeton University, and several viewing events for the April 2024 solar eclipse that our dedicated graduate and undergraduate students mainly organized.
Thanks to the efforts of faculty, staff, and students, the department continues to flourish. Our faculty numbers will reach 14 this fall with the arrival of Jiayin Dong, who will bring a strong focus on exoplanetary science to our department. We also have a full contingent of staff, having recently onboarded Jake Keister and our new academic advisor, Sarah Sheeley. Our postdoc numbers are also growing, and our humble Astronomy Building is bursting at the seams! Our undergraduate major numbers continue to break records, although we are hopefully entering a phase of more sustainable growth, ensuring we can continue to provide individualized attention to our students.
On the research front, artificial intelligence is revolutionizing many fields, and astronomy is no exception. The SkAI Institute, headquartered at the Hancock Center in downtown Chicago and led at Illinois by associate professor Gautham Narayan, is funded by a five-year, $20 million grant from the National Science Foundation and Simons Foundation to deploy AI for the analysis of large data sets, astrophysical simulations, and instrument and survey design. In another recent funding success, professor Xin Liu and graduate student Grant Merz have obtained $1 million of NASA funding for DeepDISC-Euclid, a program to adapt computer vision techniques to detecting and classifying blended objects in deep astronomical images. Astronomy researchers are also winning prized observing time on the James Webb Space Telescope, with professor Yue Shen's group leading NEXUS, one of the largest projects yet approved on Webb, to study the evolution of galaxies and their central black holes. These are just a few highlights you will learn more about in this year's newsletter.
As we look forward to a new academic year, I want to take a moment to reflect on the legacy of Distinguished Professor Emeritus Icko Iben, Jr., who passed away earlier this year. Icko served as Department Head for over a decade, overseeing its growth into a vibrant hub for cutting-edge research, and founding the lecture series that bears his name. I also want to thank the department's friends and supporters for their sustained efforts and urge us all to continue to make the case for astronomy in a time where government support for science, research, and international engagement is in greater doubt than at any time in recent memory. Astronomy has always bridged divides by appealing to people of all backgrounds and beliefs, and we must ensure that it continues to do so.
Best wishes,
Tony Wong
Professor and department chair
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Preserving the Stars
Read about how a group of alumni is leading the efforts to preserve and revitalize the campus observatory for future generations of stargazers.
Renovations on the observatory will begin soon, and none of it would be possible without the passion and persistence of the Friends of the Observatory—a group of alumni who stepped up when it mattered most.
At the heart of that story is Mike Svec, whose unexpected visit in 2010 helped spark a movement to save a piece of campus history.

Coming home: Jiayin Dong joins Illinois Astronomy faculty
This fall, we welcomed alumnus Jiayin Dong back to campus, but this time as part of our wonderful faculty.
Jiayin first discovered her love of the night sky right here at Illinois, and now she’s back to share that passion with the next generation of students. Join us in giving her a warm welcome home!
Learn more about her journey and research on planetary system formation

NASA funds AI-astronomy research led by graduate student Grant Merz
Grad student Grant Merz is leading the charge on a $1M NASA-funded project, DeepDISC-Euclid, using cutting-edge AI to revolutionize how we detect and analyze galaxies. With the expert guidance of Professors Xin Liu and Yue Shen, Merz is helping shape the future of astronomy—one algorithm at a time.

From basement beginnings to radio astronomy leader
AstroFest brought together students, faculty, and alumni for a full day of discovery — and this year, a familiar face returned to inspire the next generation. Dr. Phil Jewell (Ph.D. ’82), once part of the “basement crew” in the old campus observatory, came back to share stories from a career that’s taken him from Illinois to the helm of ALMA.
Read about his journey, insights, and the legacy he’s helping shape

Unlocking the cosmos with AI: How the SkAI Institute is transforming astronomy
The Universe is exploding with data, and AI is stepping in to help make sense of it. As next-gen observatories like the Rubin Observatory prepare to capture billions of cosmic events, Illinois astronomy professor Gautham Narayan and his team are leading the charge to revolutionize how we discover and understand the universe, using AI models that could change astrophysics forever.
Read the full story on how Illinois researchers are turning data into discovery
This year, two of our faculty received long-overdue honors for their excellence in teaching.

Leslie Looney was named as a recipient of the LAS Dean’s Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching as well as the even more selective Campus Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching.
Brian Fields was given the Illinois Student Council Teaching Excellence Award, a student-nominated, campus-wide honor. We are lucky to have Leslie and Brian on our faculty and pleased that their contributions are now gaining recognition across the university.
In related news, several faculty and graduate students have been named on the List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Their Students over the past year. Faculty honors go to Brian Fields (Fall ’24, Spring ’25), Charles Gammie (Spring ’25), and Leslie Looney (Fall ’24, Spring ’25). Teaching Assistant Achintya Krishnan (Spring ’25) was also recognized.
2025 Academic Awards
The astronomy department is proud to announce its Spring 2025 Academic Awards. The winners were recognized in an online ceremony on May 2nd, 2025. The ceremony was led by Department Chair Tony Wong and Director of Undergraduate Studies Professor Bryan Dunne and featured remarks from longtime donors, the winning students, and the students' advisors.
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Remembering Icko Iben Jr.
The department of astronomy sadly lost one of our cherished friends and colleagues, Icko Iben Jr., this past summer. Professor Iben's research made an indelible mark on astrophysics and on this campus. He pioneered the theory of how stars work and how they pass through their dramatic life cycles. His specialty was the late phases of stellar evolution, studying how stars approach their demise and the exotic remains they leave behind.
He made a tremendous impact on the department as a whole, his colleagues and students throughout his tremendous career. He will be deeply missed.
The Department newsletter: