NACAA 2018 Programme Committee

The NACAA Programme Committee is responsible for the coordination of the technical content of the convention, and providing support to all presenters and contributors.

The 2018 Programme Committee consists of the following members:

	Saeed Salimpour (Chair) Saeed has a background in Astrophysics and Science Education. He has spent the better part of a decade making fundamental physics and astronomy accessible to everyone, irrespective of their background. His goal has been to find new ways of simplifying some of the complex concepts in science and presenting current research to a non-technical audience. His research interests vary from understanding the dynamics of galaxy/cluster evolution and the role that Dark Matter plays in the formation and evolution of large-scale structures, Epoch of Reionisation, to science education.
	David O'Driscoll David has particular interests in photometry, astrometry, spectroscopy and robotic telescopes. A member of the Astronomical Association of Queensland and Variable Stars South, David is trying to undertake a research program, but running conferences and managing astronomical websites seem to keep getting in the way. Combined with family and a demanding job, David has decided he has to learn to say "no" more often. Little progress on that aspiration so far.
	James R Murray James completed his PhD in astrophysics at Monash University in 1994 followed by twelve years in research roles at the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics, ANU, University of Leicester and Swinburne. He is a founding member and current president of Mount Burnett Observatory and has recently taken a role at Astronomy Australia Limited
	Ray Johnston - Astrotourism Ray is a creaky old regular at NACAA and although he has been around for a long long time, there is no truth in the rumours that his hearing was affected by the Big Bang or that he knew Galileo. For many years, he and his wife, Libby, were involved in outreach astronomy, operating a public observatory on Hamilton Island on the Great Barrier Reef, a mobile planetarium service to schools and Ray was a regular lecturer on cruise ships. Ray and Libby now live a little more quietly on the Fraser Coast and they continue to travel to many parts of the world visiting ancient astronomical sites  and recording local sky stories as they have a keen interest in archeo, indigenous and Aboriginal astronomy.
	John Wilkinson John is a member of the Astronomical Society of Victoria and Bendigo Astronomical Society. He is a science educator and author of over 100 science textbooks. A former lecturer in science education and physics he obtained his PhD at Latrobe University. His main astronomical interests are in the Solar system, Sun and astrophotography. He operates an observatory in his own backyard in Central Victoria. He has presented at a number of NACAAs.
	Donna Burton Donna started life "outback" as a "drovers brat" which is how and when she fell in love with the sky. She completed an MSc in Astronomy Research at USQ and is currently part way through her PhD just because she can! She has worked as a support technician, telescope operator and astronomer at Siding Spring Observatory for many years. She is the past Chairperson for NACAA and is the Australian National Coordinator for Astronomers Without Borders and very involved in astronomy and science outreach and amateur astronomy groups. She currently operates Milroy Observatory at Coonabarabran which hosts Australia's largest telescope available to the general public.
	Jacquie Milner
	Barry Adcock