4MOST - 4-metre Multi-Object Spectroscopic Telescope
4-m Multi-Object Spectroscopic Telescope
4MOST

Introducing the new Chair of the Science Coordination Board

by Joe Liske on 2023-01-17

Michelle Cluver

A message from the Principal Investigator, Roelof de Jong:

I am pleased to announce that at its last meeting, the 4MOST Science Coordination Board (SCB) selected Michelle Cluver (co-PI of S18) as its new Chair, after Joe Liske stepped down having chaired for eight years. The 4MOST Executive Board has now formally appointed Michelle as new Chair of the SCB.

Michelle has been involved in the planning and execution of large spectroscopic surveys since joining the Australian Astronomical Observatory and the GAMA (Galaxy And Mass Assembly) Survey in 2011. Her expertise is in infrared photometry and spectroscopy, pioneering the use of WISE as a tracer of stellar mass and star formation in combination with large redshift surveys. Her scientific interest lies in the evolution of galaxies within groups, a key environment in the transformation of galaxies from star-forming disks to bulge-dominated, relatively quiescent systems. Since the distribution of neutral gas, the fuel that drives star formation, is a singular tracer of past interactions, she co-leads the MeerKAT Habitat of Galaxies Survey (MeerHoGS) exploring (among other things) how the SKA and its Pathfinders will probe the cold intra-group medium and how this relates to accretion and shocks. Aside from enabling the unprecedented study of environment in combination with multi-wavelength tracers, Michelle is most excited about how 4MOST will uncover unexplored large-scale structures, including pushing deeper into the Zone of Avoidance compared to traditional extragalactic surveys (an interest sparked during her PhD and central to our understanding of mass and motion in the local universe). The 4MOST project is a pioneering survey model and Michelle feels privileged to lead the SCB as we navigate the challenges and opportunities in preparation for full survey operations.

The entire SCB and especially me personally would like to thank the outgoing Chair, Joe Liske, who will continue as the deputy Chair during the transition period. Joe has been instrumental for setting up the organisational structure and regulations of the science section of the 4MOST Project and for creating the path to a collaborative environment that enables the 4MOST operational model. Next to being deputy SCB Chair while Michelle gets up to speed, Joe will also remain lead of the Administration & Communication Tools Work Package.