David Naylor, Professor and Board of Governors’ Research Chair
Director, Astronomical Instrumentation Group
Space Astronomy Division, Institute for Space Imaging Science
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Lethbridge
As a Commonwealth Scholar David received his PhD in Physics from the University of Calgary. Following a Post Doctoral Fellowship as a European Space Agency Fellow in ESTEC, Noordwijk, he joined the department of Physics at the University of Lethbridge in 1981. Over the last 42 years he has established an internationally recognized research program in the area of astronomical instrumentation, specializing in the design and use of infrared and submillimeter, Fourier transform spectrometers and radiometers, in a variety of astronomical applications. He has held several prestigious research fellowships: European Space Agency (ESTEC), NATO International Fellow (University College London), Smithsonian Fellow (Smithsonian Institute Washington), Perren Fellow (Queen Mary College London).
David is the Director of the Astronomical Instrumentation Group and co-founder of the Institute for Space Imaging Science. David was the Canadian PI on both ESA’s Herschel/SPIRE mission and the ESA/JAXA SPICA mission and is currently working towards establishing a lead role for Canada in the NASA PRIMA probe mission. He has coauthored over 350 refereed publications and attracts significant external funding. Two of the instruments he co-developed have been successfully deployed in space, the flight spare of one can be found in the Science museum London, another is on permanent display in the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.
David is a member of the: American Astronomical Society, Astronomical Society of the Pacific, Canadian Association of Physicists, Canadian Astronomical Society, Optical Society of America and Society of Photo-optical Instrumentation Engineers. He has served on several (inter)national committees CTAG, NSERC GSC17, JCSA, NASA NGST, Herschel/SPIRE, Gemini and ALMA science steering committees, and regularly acts as a reviewer for granting agencies.
David actively recruits young scientists into his group and is particularly proud of the many students that have started their careers in his laboratory. Six of his former students hold faculty positions, three hold research chairs.
Evidence of impact and contributions- Royal Astronomical Society of London group achievement award for the Herschel/SPIRE instrument (2014)
- Finalist in the Alberta Science and Technology (ASTech) provincial awards (2003, 2010, 2013)
- Named top 50 most influential people by Alberta Venture (July 2013)
- Recipient of Sir Arthur Clarke Award for academic study and research (July 2013)
- Awarded the key to the city of Lethbridge for contributions to science research (Nov 2009)
- Royal Astronomical Society of London group achievement award for the SCUBA instrument (2009)
- Co-founder of the Institute for Space Imaging Science (ISIS), a joint institute with Universities of Calgary and Athabasca, and Director of the Space Astronomy Division (2009)
- Canadian Principal Investigator for the ESA/JAXA SPICA/Safari mission (2008 - 2020)
- Awarded Alberta Centennial Medal for contributions to science (2005)
- Awarded Ingrid Speaker award for Distinguished Research (2003)
- Principal Investigator for imaging Fourier transform spectrometer, FTS-2 ((2003 – 2020)
- Member and Chair CSA-CASCA Joint Committee on Space Astronomy (2003-2006; 2010-2013)
- Member of board of the Canadian Astronomical Society (2005-2008)
- Formed spin-off company Blue Sky Spectroscopy Inc. (2003)
- Canadian Principal Investigator for the Herschel/SPIRE mission (2002 - 2020)
- Reviewer CFI, NSERC, CSA, CTAG, Ap.J., MNRAS, PASP, ICARUS, App.Opt., Meas. Sci. Tech., Opt. Let., JOSA
- Regularly gives public presentations to local groups (astronomy club, science fair, schools, seniors, churches, etc)
