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| Geoff Marcy | |
|---|---|
| Name | Geoff Marcy |
| Birth date | 1954 |
| Birth place | Ohio |
| Nationality | United States |
| Fields | Astronomy, Astrophysics |
| Workplaces | University of California, Berkeley, San Francisco State University, University of California Observatories, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory |
| Alma mater | Macalester College, University of California, Santa Cruz, University of California, Berkeley |
| Known for | Precision radial velocity exoplanet detection |
| Awards | Newton Lacy Pierce Prize in Astronomy, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics recognitions |
Geoff Marcy Geoff Marcy is an American astronomer known for leading high-precision radial velocity searches that contributed to the discovery and characterization of exoplanets orbiting nearby stars. His work at institutions such as University of California, Berkeley and collaborations with observatories like W. M. Keck Observatory advanced techniques used by teams across California Institute of Technology, Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, and Jet Propulsion Laboratory to detect extrasolar planets. Marcy's research influenced subsequent surveys by groups at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, European Southern Observatory, and NASA missions.
Marcy was born in Ohio and raised in the United States before attending Macalester College for undergraduate studies. He pursued graduate work at University of California, Santa Cruz and completed a Ph.D. at University of California, Berkeley, training in observational techniques developed at facilities associated with Lick Observatory and later applying methods from instrumentation teams at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Marcy held faculty positions at San Francisco State University and later joined University of California, Berkeley as a professor and member of the University of California Observatories. He maintained observing programs at major telescopes including W. M. Keck Observatory and collaborated with instrument teams connected to European Southern Observatory, Anglo-Australian Observatory, and the Subaru Telescope. His academic roles also connected him to research networks at NASA Ames Research Center, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
Marcy was a central figure in early radial velocity planet searches that followed from detections like the planet around 51 Pegasi by teams in France and Switzerland. He led or co-led studies that reported planets around stars such as Upsilon Andromedae, HD 209458, and Gliese 876, and his teams refined methods of precision spectroscopy alongside instrument builders from W. M. Keck Observatory and collaborators at Caltech and MIT. Marcy's work intersected with transit detections from surveys influenced by missions like Kepler (spacecraft) and the development of techniques used by groups at European Southern Observatory and Calar Alto Observatory. He published on stellar jitter, Doppler measurement calibration, and approaches that informed follow-up strategies used by NASA and international consortia for characterizing exoplanet masses and orbital parameters.
Throughout his career Marcy received recognitions including the Newton Lacy Pierce Prize in Astronomy and honors from bodies associated with American Astronomical Society divisions and observatories such as Lick Observatory and W. M. Keck Observatory. He was invited to speak at conferences organized by institutions like Royal Astronomical Society, American Physical Society, and various international symposiums hosted by European Southern Observatory and International Astronomical Union.
In the 2010s Marcy was the subject of multiple sexual harassment allegations brought to the attention of University of California, Berkeley and federal agencies connected to National Science Foundation funding policies. Investigations involved academic conduct offices at University of California, Berkeley and reviews aligned with institutional procedures influenced by Title IX regulations and university policies coordinated with National Science Foundation guidelines. Following findings of violations of university policies, he faced sanctions by University of California, Berkeley and restrictions on teaching and mentoring roles at university-affiliated programs and observatory collaborations. The developments prompted responses from professional organizations including the American Astronomical Society regarding workplace conduct and impacted his standing in collaborative projects with facilities such as W. M. Keck Observatory.
After institutional sanctions, Marcy's active roles in supervising graduate students and leading new projects at University of California, Berkeley and associated observatories were curtailed; some observatory teams and funding partners reassessed collaborations involving personnel with disciplinary findings, including entities like NASA and observatory consortia. His scientific contributions to early exoplanet detection and radial velocity techniques remain cited in literature produced by groups at Caltech, MIT, Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, and European Southern Observatory, while the misconduct findings have been incorporated into broader discussions about professional conduct, mentoring, and equity in the astronomy community led by organizations such as the American Astronomical Society and the International Astronomical Union.
Category:American astronomers Category:Exoplanet researchers Category:University of California, Berkeley faculty