Tomaž Zwitter

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Tomaž Zwitter graduated from the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics in Ljubljana, then got his master’s degree in astrophysics in 1988 from the International School for Advanced Studies in Italy, and received his doctorate in the same field two years later. Today, he is a full professor at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics in Ljubljana, where he teaches the basics of astronomy, observational astrophysics and stellar astrophysics. His field of research includes the interstellar medium, single and binary stars, the galaxy, its evolution and content.

In addition to giving lectures, he shares his knowledge at various scientific gatherings in Slovenia and worldwide.  He has already given lectures at eight events to date in 2019. The last two such events took place in September in Italy, being the Legacy of the Gaia-ESO survey in Florence and the Super Vatican Observatory Summer School 2019 in Castel Gandolfo. His lectures mostly relate to projects he is working on at the moment, namely: RAVE, Gaia, Hermes-GALAH and Gaia-ESO.

Thus far, he has completed three research programmes. From 1999 to 2003, he managed the Astro Geosciences and Meteorology programme, the programme titled Astrophysics and Meteorological Phenomena on the Mezoscale between 2004 and 2008, and the programme called Astrophysics and Atmosphere Physics between 2009 and 2014, which he started up again in 2015 and will probably work on until 2020. The latter programme was the most successful among those in Slovenia that research the fields of predicting the weather, climatology, astrophysics and cosmology, with several excellent researchers participating in it.

In addition to the above activities, Tomaž Zwitter finds the time to participate in the International Astronomical Union, to translate APOD and other scientific content, to mentor doctoral students and prepare monthly astronomy reports, which are then broadcast on the national radio. He has also (co-)authored 188 scientific articles. His efforts are continually raising the level of Slovenian science and contributing to the world’s treasury of knowledge.