Dr. Rick Fienberg is the American Astronomical Society’s Press Officer and Director of Communications. From 1986 to 2008 he served in a variety of editorial and management positions at Sky & Telescope magazine, including eight years as Editor in Chief. He spent the 2008-2009 academic year as Visiting Scientist in Astronomy & Astrophysics at Phillips Academy, the prestigious college-preparatory school in Andover, Massachusetts.

Rick earned his B.A. in physics at Rice University and his M.A. and Ph.D. in astronomy at Harvard University. He is a co-creator of the Galileoscope educational telescope kit, a Cornerstone Project of the International Year of Astronomy 2009. Rick is an elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The International Astronomical Union (IAU), which he serves as Secretary of Commission 55, Communicating Astronomy with the Public, has named asteroid 9983 Rickfienberg in his honor.

The American Astronomical Society (AAS), established in 1899 and based in Washington, DC, is the major organization of professional astronomers in North America. The mission of the AAS is to enhance and share humanity’s scientific understanding of the universe.