Paul Louis Hertz
Born
Eglin Air Force Base, Florida
CitizenshipUnited States
Alma materHarvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Known forDirector of the Astrophysics Division, NASA (2012–2022)
Scientific career
FieldsAstronomy
InstitutionsNASA, Naval Research Laboratory
ThesisSurveys of Globular Cluster and Galactic Plane X-Ray Sources (1983)
Websitehttps://science.nasa.gov/about-us/leadership/dr-paul-hertz

Paul Louis Hertz is an American astrophysicist, and is best known for being the longest-serving[1] Director of the Astrophysics Division at NASA, with a tenure from 2012 to 2022.[2]

Early life and education

Hertz studied both physics and mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, earning a bachelor's degree in both in 1977. He was awarded the PhD in Astronomy in 1983 from Harvard University, with a thesis titled "Surveys of Globular Cluster and Galactic Plane X-Ray Sources".[3] Hertz received the Robert Trumpler award of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific for his thesis in 1985.[4]

Career

After completing the PhD, Hertz was awarded a National Research Council research associateship at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C., from 1983 to 1985. He continued there as an astrophysicist, where his research concentrated on X-ray emission from Galactic neutron stars, black holes, and globular clusters.[5][6][7][8] While there he won the Alan Berman Research Publication Award of the Naval Research Laboratory. During that time, he continued academic affiliations by teaching at Northern Virginia Community College from 1990 to 1992, Prince George's Community College in 1991, and George Mason University beginning in 1993.

Dr. Hertz joined NASA as a Senior Scientist in 2000 in the Astrophysics Division, where he served as a Program Scientist for several NASA programs and projects including the Structure and Evolution of the Universe Program, the Explorer Program, the Chandra X-ray Observatory, and the Discovery Program.[9] One of his longest-term roles was as the Program Scientist for the SOFIA airborne observatory, overseeing it in its later development and first light in 2010.[10] He then served as the Chief Scientist of the NASA Science Directorate from 2005 to 2012.[11] In this role, he oversaw the NASA's Science Policy, Process, and Ethics Office.[12] He received the Presidential Rank Award of Distinguished Executive,[13] the Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious Senior Professional, the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal, a NASA Silver Achievement Medal, and multiple NASA Group Achievement Awards.

In 2012, Hertz became the Director of the Astrophysics Division. Among his earliest actions was the announcement of the opportunity to consider using repurposed telescope components for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (then WFIRST) mission.[14][15] Around the same time, he announced the cancellation of the Gravity and Extreme Magnetism Small Explorer, saying the technology needed for the instrument was taking longer to develop than expected, driving up the price.[16][17] He also made the commitment for NASA to provide infrared detectors and science support to the ESA-led Euclid mission.[18]

During his tenure, he was a repeated advocate for multi-billion-dollar "flagship" missions, including leading the formal new start for Roman,[19] funding four major competing flagship studies,[20] and encouraging ambitious mission planning.[21] NASA also launched NuSTAR, NICER, TESS, IXPE, and JWST during his tenure.

In 2021, Hertz announced that he would step down in 2022 after 10 years as Director of Astrophysics, saying "It is my personal belief that 10 years is long enough for a single person to guide an organization, a program and a community."[22][23] In August 2022, he was appointed Senior Advisor to the Associate Administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate.[24]

Personal life

A fan of baseball and in particular the Washington Nationals, he threw out the opening pitch on September 1, 2012.[25] He won the Baltimore Orioles Heavy Hitter Award, and the Washington Nationals Spirit Award.[11] He is also a published sabremetrician, having proven that there have been a statistically expected number of games played where all seven ways of reaching first base occurred.[26]

References

  1. ↑ "Dr. Paul Hertz, Senior Advisor to the Associate Administrator | Science Mission Directorate". science.nasa.gov. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Biography of Dr. Paul Hertz, Astrophysics Division Director" (PDF). July 12, 2016. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  3. ↑ Hertz, P. L. (1983). Surveys of Globular Cluster and Galactic Plane X-Ray Sources (PhD). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University. Bibcode:1983PhDT.........8H.
  4. ↑ "Robert J. Trumpler Award : Awards : WHO WE ARE : Astronomical Society of the Pacific". astrosociety.org. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  5. ↑ "SPIE Optics + Photonics Special Event Sunday Evening Plenary". spie.org. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  6. ↑ Hertz, P.; Grindlay, J. E. (April 1, 1983). "X-ray evidence for white dwarf binaries in globular clusters". The Astrophysical Journal. 267: L83–L87. Bibcode:1983ApJ...267L..83H. doi:10.1086/184008. ISSN 0004-637X.
  7. ↑ Hertz, P.; Grindlay, J. E. (December 1, 1983). "An X-ray survey of globular clusters and their X-ray luminosity function". The Astrophysical Journal. 275: 105–119. Bibcode:1983ApJ...275..105H. doi:10.1086/161516. ISSN 0004-637X.
  8. ↑ Hertz, P.; Wood, K. S. (March 1, 1985). "The nature of the low-luminosity globular cluster X-ray sources". The Astrophysical Journal. 290: 171–184. Bibcode:1985ApJ...290..171H. doi:10.1086/162971. ISSN 0004-637X.
  9. ↑ "NASA – Space Science Presenters' Bios". www.nasa.gov. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  10. ↑ SpaceNews (June 7, 2010). "SOFIA Airborne Telescope Returns First Scientific Images". SpaceNews. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  11. 1 2 "Paul Hertz | American Astronautical Society". Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  12. ↑ "NASA Nobel Prize Recipient to Lead Chief Scientist Office". Physics Today. April 3, 2007. doi:10.1063/PT.4.1377.
  13. ↑ "Presidential Rank Awards 2023". U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  14. ↑ Leone, Dan (June 5, 2012). "Spy Hardware Could Enable Cheaper Dark Energy Mission". SpaceNews. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  15. ↑ "Ex-Spy Telescopes May Aid Hunt For Dark Energy". NPR.org. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  16. ↑ NASA kills GEMS X-ray telescope, blames project's cost
  17. ↑ SpaceNews (June 6, 2012). "NASA Pulling the Plug on Overbudget X-ray Telescope Mission". SpaceNews. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  18. ↑ "Spaceflight Now | Breaking News | ESA's Euclid mission cleared to proceed into development". spaceflightnow.com. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  19. ↑ Foust, Jeff (January 6, 2016). "NASA's Next Major Space Telescope Project Officially Starts in February". SpaceNews. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  20. ↑ Scoles, Sarah. "NASA Considers Its Next Flagship Space Telescope". Scientific American. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  21. ↑ "NASA Astrophysics Chief Makes Case for 'Flagship' Telescopes". www.aip.org. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  22. ↑ Foust, Jeff (June 9, 2021). "NASA astrophysics director to step down". SpaceNews. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  23. ↑ "Report: Paul Hertz to Step Down as NASA's Astrophysics Lead, Transition to New Role". executivegov.com. June 9, 2021. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  24. ↑ "NASA Selects New Astrophysics Division Director | American Astronomical Society". aas.org. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
  25. ↑ "Dr. Paul Hertz, Astrophysics Division Director" (PDF). US Congress House of Representatives. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
  26. ↑ Hertz, Paul (2014). "Was There a Seven Way Game? Seven Ways of Reaching First Base". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
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