Director Named to Head Astronomy Education Center

University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo
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Posted: Aug 23, 2001


University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Chancellor Rose Tseng has named George Jacob as project director of the Mauna Kea Astronomy Education Center (MKAEC) following a nationwide search. Jacob, whose background spans more than 15 years in museum planning, design and management assumed his new duties on August 9, 2001.

Prior to his appointment, Jacob served as vice-president of exhibits and design at the Oregon Museum of Science and Technology. He is currently president of Jacob Planning and Management Inc., a Canadian consulting firm specializing in Cultural Resource, Design-Build and Change Management solutions to a broad range of clients in Canada, the United States, France, the UK, Hong Kong, Thailand and Malaysia.

Jacob earned masters degrees in museum studies from the University of Toronto and the Birla Institute of Technology and Science. He also received professional certifications at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. and the Canadian Museums Association. A Commonwealth fellow, Jacob has chaired various state level committees and has sat on numerous boards, including the Executive Council of the Commonwealth Association of Museums (UK), Museum Educators Roundtable of Toronto and the Canada Singapore Business Association.

The Mauna Kea Astronomy Education Center (MKAEC) will be built on a 10-acre site in the University Park for Science and Technology. The $20,000,000 project, funded through a joint partnership between NASA and the Bishop Museum, will serve as the premier interpretative center for the world's finest astronomical observatories. The Center's facilities, exhibits and outreach programs will utilize the most advanced technologies to showcase the ongoing astronomy research on Mauna Kea. Activities will be designed to educate and inspire students, teachers and other communities about space and astronomy, promote scientific literacy and interest, and bridge the gap between culture and science by framing its facilities and programs in Hawaiʻi's rich Polynesian tradition of exploration.

"I'm very pleased that we've been able to recruit an individual with the credentials that Mr. Jacob brings to this important position," said Tseng. "The Center will benefit greatly from his international background, vision and leadership."