Night time photo of observatory with campus in background.


Williams astronomy professors and students are helping to shape research at some of the nation’s most important observatories and facilities as new members of the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA). Membership was restricted to large research universities until last May, when Williams and seven other liberal arts colleges that make up the Keck Northeast Astronomy Consortium (KNAC) were invited to join. In announcing the partnership, AURA President Matt Mountain called KNAC “a powerful consortium of colleges with a collective faculty deeply committed to undergraduate education and astronomical research.” Says Karen Kwitter, Williams’ Ebenezer Fitch Professor of Astronomy,  “KNAC’s membership in AURA—a first for undergraduate institutions—will give Williams and our partner schools an official voice in the planning and advancement of astronomical research capabilities at the AURA centers. We look forward to working together to promote learning about the universe for faculty, students and the public.”

Learn more about Williams’ astronomy department.