Dr. Ronald Mennickent is the new director of the Department of Astronomy

Dr. Mennickent, who took office on September 1, will have the task of launching the Master's and doctoral programme that Astronomy intends to offer from 2017 and 2018 respectively, along with consolidating the guidelines that the team of astronomers has developed since beginnings.

Both Geisler and Mennickent, together with Dr. Wolfgang Gieren, the first director of the Department, were the founders of the astronomy group, which later ended up forming the astronomy career and the AstroUdeC Department. Since the mid-1990s they have worked together on a project that has expanded and has not stopped growing. Today they are the most productive group in terms of scientific publications, providing a total of 15% of the University of Concepción.

The outgoing director, is proud of the work he has done so far and highlights the partnership and work together as the two pillars to do a good job "I have been fortunate to be surrounded by a large group of professionals, teachers who do Good chairs while working to make their science and win projects for the department, I have had very good career heads. In work I have been facilitated thanks to the support of our secretary and the communications team who have helped to show our work at a national level and have recognition in the region", says Geisler.

At the time of making a balance of its management, it emphasizes the construction of the building that materialized in 2015, after many years of work in which there were many "battles" until inaugurating its own house. Within the future projects is to develop a work to install the first Planetarium for Biobío region to be projected on the University Campus and the concretion of the Cosmological Submilimeter Telescope CST project, an international consortium in which institutions like CALTECH, along with the University Of Concepción that implies the operation of an antenna in the plain of Chajnantor next to ALMA.

Dr. Mennickent was the first astronomer to be a Ph.D. in Chile, the first astronomer to teach at the University of Concepción. He obtained the Municipal Prize of Sciences in 2015. Full professor and specialist in Variable Stars, he will have a new challenge as Director of the department. Among its main goals is the implementation of the programmes of Magister, Doctorate and a diploma in instrumentation. "We have a pending academic level, since we have many undergraduate students, we want to offer our own programmes to be even more competitive in relation to other universities. We have to work on recovering the number of researchers, post-doctoral researchers who are vital to the development of our department", Mennickent points out. "I think that one always has the mission to leave a legacy where he works, and from this new position I have the possibility to help many people to develop their science, to continue making a Great work, and that fills me with enthusiasm". Mennickent has a 2-year period ahead, where he intends to continue consolidating the work of researchers, giving more opportunities to students and strengthening ties with the community through an extension team.