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Session 47 - The Shapley Visiting Lectureship Program.
Topical, Oral session, Tuesday, June 09
Friars,
Under the Shapley Visiting Lectureships Program astronomers make two-day visits to colleges and universities in the United States and Canada (and next year in Mexico) to promote astronomy by giving a set of talks and by interactions with students, staff and administration. The main talk is the Shapley Lecture, usually given in the evening and open to all interested people in the area. The lecturer can talk to a class or give a colloquium or talk at a local high school. At present there are about 85 lecturers in the program and we make about 50 visits each year. Most of the visits are made by car but each year there are some requests from institutions that are too remote so in these cases we fly lecturers in to make the visit. The program is supported by the fees paid by the institutions and by interest from the Shapley Endowment Fund. At this topical meeting there will be discussions by some of the early people before there was a Shapley Visiting Lectureships Program, by four of the previous and present Shapley Directors, by a visitor who has made 50 Shapley visits, a Shapley Lecturer at NSF and by representatives from two of the frequently visited institutions.
