Drawing upon a Bachelor of Science in engineering physics from Cornell University and Doctor of Philosophy in physics from the California Institute of Technology, Dr. Michael George Hauser is an esteemed astronomer and astrophysicist whose passions lie in elementary particle physics, astronomy, and cosmology. With an expertise in interstellar medium, star clusters, cosmic background radiations, and interplanetary medium, he served as a co-investigator for the Far-Infrared Absolute Spectrophotometer and Differential Microwave Radiometers and principal investigator for the Diffuse Infrared Background Experiment on NASA’s Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) mission. The COBE mission demonstrated that the Cosmic Microwave Background radiation confirmed the Big Bang history, and discovered primeval density irregularities and a cosmic infrared background, with implications for evolution since the Big Bang. In recognition of the importance of these discoveries, two members of the COBE team received the 2006 Nobel Prize in Physics. In addition, the team shared the 2006 Gruber Prize in Cosmology.
Since 2011, Dr. Hauser has been an astronomer emeritus of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, MD, having formerly been an astronomer for the Institute and deputy director from 1995 to 2009. A frequent educator in the field, he served the California Institute of Technology, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Maryland. Alongside and prior to these appointments, he served the Goddard Space Flight Center as chief of the Astronomy and Solar Physics Laboratory, head of the infrared astrophysics branch of the Extraterrestrial Physics Laboratory, and head of the Infrared Astronomy Group of the High Energy Astrophysics Laboratory, among other prominent roles. He commenced his career at Princeton University, where he served as an instructor and assistant professor for five years beginning in 1967.
Becoming involved in his profession due to an inherent interest in science and the influence from his father, who was a chemist, Dr. Hauser witnessed the years of the Space Race and evolution of nuclear physics. Taking a plethora of mathematics, chemistry, and physics courses throughout his high school and undergraduate years, he ultimately decided on physics in graduate school. Dr. Hauser has contributed myriad refereed and non-refereed publications to professional journals regarding high energy physics, technology, astronomy, astrophysics, and cosmology.
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