Short Bio

Prof. Michael Meyer (born 1967, master of science in physics, University of Missouri, PhD in astronomy, University of Massachusetts) was head of the planet and star formation group at the ETH in Zürich (2009-2016) and was formerly a Professor/Astronomer at the Department of Astronomy/Steward Observatory of the University of Arizona (2000-2009). He was a Hubble Fellow at the University of Arizona (1997-2000) and did a post-doc at the Max-Planck-Institute for Astronomie (1995-1997). He has more than 25 years of international scientific research experience, in the fields of galactic and infrared astronomy, as well as the formation, evolution, and characterization of planetary systems (and associated implications on the prospects for life in the Universe). He has experience participating in the development of ground- and space-based instrumentation, including both the NIRCam and NIRISS for JWST as well as high contrast imaging systems/spectrographs for 6-10 meter telescopes and ELTs.

A recent two-page version of Prof. Meyer’s CV can be found here.  In 2024, he was awarded the Johannes Geiss Fellowship of the International Space Science Institute.

An essay on Failure written for UM Astronomy undergraduate students (spring, 2020).

Recent write-up for the Department Newsletter (December, 2020).

Formation and Evolution of Planetary Systems (FEPS) research group website can be found here.

Prof. Meyer has taught ASTRO 361 (Observational Techniques), 429 (Scientific Writing), 401 (Exoplanets), 106 (Aliens), 101 (Galactic and Planetary Astronomy), and 570 (Order of Magnitude Astrophysics) at the University of Michigan since 2017. 

Prof. Meyer currently serves as Chair of the Department.  He is also Professor of Physics (by courtesy) and an advisor in the Applied Physics program.

He is also Chair Emeritus of the NASA ExoPAG Executive Committee, having rotated off the NASA Astrophysics Advisory Committee.  He serves on the Science Advisory Committee of the Dutch Space Agency, and as member of the NOIRLab Strategic Advisory Committee.

He currently lives in Ann Arbor with his wife, two children, and four guinea pigs (Pumpkin, Zippy, Zoe, and Beans). 

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