University of Toledo Astronomer Selected for Prestigious National Lecture Program

University of Toledo Astronomer Selected for Prestigious National Lecture Program

The American Astronomical Society (AAS) has selected Dr. Michael Cushing, University of Toledo professor and director of the Ritter Planetarium & Brooks Observatory, as one of just 21 astronomers nationwide to serve as a 2026 AAS Shapley Visiting Lecturer.

The AAS Shapley Visiting Lectures Program, which dates to 1958, sends a select group of astronomers to colleges, universities, schools and community institutions across the country each year to deliver accessible public presentations and engage directly with students and community members. This year's cohort will visit destinations across 17 U.S. states.

"Science communication is incredibly important to me and has been central to my career since I was an undergraduate," Cushing said. "I feel a deep sense of responsibility to ensure that members of the public, particularly young people, are inspired by the incredible story that scientists have painstakingly pieced together about the history of the universe."

As a Shapley Lecturer, Cushing will present a public talk titled "The James Webb Space Telescope: A New Window into Our Origin Story" and engage with students from elementary through high school during multiday visits.

His first visit is scheduled for April 21-22 in Clinton, Wisconsin, and will include a public lecture, a community star party, a research presentation to high school students and an age-appropriate talk for elementary school children.

A second visit to New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois, will take place sometime in November.

Cushing was selected from a highly competitive pool with more than 140 astronomers responding to AAS's call for applications in fall 2025, underscoring the demand for quality science communicators willing to reach communities with limited access to astronomy outreach.

An observational astronomer specializing in brown dwarfs, Cushing conducts research using some of the world's most advanced ground- and space-based infrared telescopes, including NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, the Hubble Space Telescope, the Keck Observatory and NASA's Infrared Telescope Facility.

He has spent more than three decades sharing science with audiences of all ages through live planetarium shows, K-12 school visits, star parties, television and radio appearances and community talks, including in his role as director of the UToledo Ritter Planetarium & Brooks Observatory, a position he's held since 2011.

"I often describe my job as 'learning things about the universe, and then sharing those things with people,'" Cushing said. "I really enjoy the challenge of explaining complex scientific ideas to all age groups, from children as young as four or five years old all the way up to adults."

Cushing, a first-generation academic and scientist, also sees the honor as an opportunity to broaden the reach and visibility of UToledo's programs.

"It solidifies the Ritter Planetarium and the Ritter Astrophysical Research Center's reputation as a leading science communication facility in the region," he said. "These visits also allow me to get the word out to communities that might not otherwise know that we have a great Physics and Astronomy program."

The Shapley Lectures program was dedicated to the memory of eminent astronomer and former AAS President Harlow Shapley following his passing in 1972. After a hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020 to 2023, the program was relaunched in 2024-2025 as a collaborative pilot with the NASA Community College Network and the SETI Institute. The 2026 cohort marks its full return to the AAS community.