Lina Canas has been appointed as the new International Outreach Coordinator of the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach, hosted in Tokyo, Japan. The IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach (OAO) is a joint venture between the IAU and the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ). It is primarily responsible for managing the IAU’s communication and accessibility initiatives, and for supporting the international network of IAU National Outreach Coordinators (NOCs) in more than 100 countries around the world.

For the past four years, Lina Canas has been working as the IAU OAO Assistant Outreach Coordinator, managing various channels that bridge the IAU with the general public. Her work has also involved driving initiatives such as the first IAU Symposium on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, to be hosted this upcoming November in Tokyo, and accessibility projects such as Inspiring Stars, disseminating world initiatives addressing inclusion in Astronomy.

“Our community inspires people to make a difference in astronomy outreach. The role of our office is to build bridges through critical thinking and collaboration. We identify the needs of the community and provide support while carrying the IAU strategic vision of engaging the public in astronomy through access to astronomical information and communication at heart”, Lina Canas said.

In the near future, the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach will open a call for a second position in OAO, and welcomes applications from enthusiastic and driven outreach practitioners and science communicators to join the team in Japan.

The IAU thanks the outgoing International Outreach Coordinator, Sze-leung Cheung, for his important services to the Union over the past five years.

More information

The IAU is the international astronomical organisation that brings together more than 13 500 professional astronomers from more than 100 countries worldwide. Its mission is to promote and safeguard astronomy in all its aspects, including research, communication, education and development, through international cooperation. The IAU also serves as the internationally recognised authority for assigning designations to celestial bodies and the surface features on them. Founded in 1919, the IAU is the world's largest professional body for astronomers.

Contacts

Lars Lindberg Christensen
IAU Press Officer
Garching bei München, Germany
Tel: +49 89 320 06 761
Cell: +49 173 38 72 621
Email: lars@eso.org

Lina Canas
International Outreach Coordinator, IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach
NAOJ, Mitaka, Japan
Tel: +81-(0)422-34-3966
Email: lina.canas@nao.ac.jp