Caltech President Jean-Lou Chameau Visits Livingston Observatory

Recently, Caltech President Dr. Jean-Lou Chameau toured the LIGO Livingston Observatory, seeing firsthand the current facilities, the staging areas where Advanced LIGO hardware is being prepared, and the LIGO Science Education Center. The entire Livingston staff as well as a number of visitors enjoyed lunch with Dr. Chameau, during which he gave a brief address and then answered questions.

Since LIGO's Sixth Science Run was temporarily paused for a commissioning break, a number of students, scientists and faculty were on hand to participate. Included were Rana Adhikari, Caltech assistant professor; Dave Reitze, University of Florida professor and spokesperson of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration; and Brian Lantz of Stanford University, who is the scientific leader of the Advanced LIGO seismic isolation effort. Graduate students from Louisiana State University, the University of Florida, Caltech and MIT also joined in the lunch-time conversation with Dr. Chameau.