Timothy D. Swindle
Tim joined LPL as an Assistant Professor in 1986 and has served as Department Head and Laboratory Director since 2012.
During Tim's tenure as Director, 20 faculty members were hired and 42 students graduated with a Ph.D.
Other career highlights include:
- significant role in the formation of UArizona science clusters: Space Situational Awareness and Earth Dynamics Observatory
- instrumental in the creation of the Arizona Space Institute
- active support and advocacy for increased diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts and awareness
- served as Director of the Arizona/NASA Space Grant Consortium
- oversaw a significant growth in research expenditures
- hired the department's first career-track Professor of Practice
- renovated the Mars Garden to allow for open access and use as a place to teach as well as relax
- while Department Head, developed and taught very popular course: PTYS 342, Life on Mars: Fact and Fiction
- formalized the position and role of the Assistant Department Head at LPL
- Director, UArizona Teaching Teams Program, 2011-2017
- maintained administrative staffing levels despite challenging budget environment
- taught >2300 undergraduate students throughout his career at LPL
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oversaw development of the Kuiper Materials Imaging and Characterization Facility, a world-class analytical facility
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initiated monthly and semesterly LPL newsletters
- supported development and growth of The Art of Planetary Science
- expanded public outreach efforts and funded student outreach coordinators
- expanded the PTYS undergraduate minor and coordinated the Astrobiology minors at LPL
- grew development and fundraising with both large endowments and sustaining gifts that regularly supported student travel and other opportunities and also recognized student initiatives (e.g., Andersson Award for Public Service and Outreach, Curson Travel Award, Showman Distinguished Lectureship, and more)
- managed the leadership challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic
Thank you, Tim!
