CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science Chief Lewis Ball has announced that Dr Mark McKinnon will soon join CSIRO as a member of CASS and of the team developing the SKA telescope.
Mark will lead the international SKA Dish Consortium, an $80m project to manage the research and design of the dishes and receivers for the SKA, as part of the pre-construction phase. The SKA Dish Array consortium is led by CSIRO and includes research and industry partners from South Africa, Canada, China and Italy.
Mark will come to CASS on secondment from the US National Radio Astronomy Organisation, where he is currently ALMA North American Project Director and has coordinated $600m worth of ALMA construction.
Mark brings a wealth of experience in radio astronomy, international collaboration, and the interface with industry necessary to deliver one of the world’s largest science facilities.
Mark will join CSIRO full time on 20 September 2013, and will continue until the end of 2014. He will be based at the CASS office in Marsfield, Sydney.