The Society of German-speaking Planetariums e.V. (GDP) in association with the International Planetarium Society (IPS) is pleased to announce the name of the winner of its fourth “A Week with the GDP” professional development competition, which is open to planetarians from around the world.
This year’s winner is Shawn Laatsch from the United States of America. Shawn Laatsch, director of the Versant Power Astronomy Center and Jordan Planetarium at the University of Maine will spend a week working with students, teachers, and the public as the guest of the Galileum Solingen. As a former president of the International Planetarium Society, he has been a guest lecturer in Argentina, Brazil, China, Greece, Italy, Japan, Mexico and New Zealand. Mr. Laatsch will spend a week with his host on dates to be determined in 2025, when he will teach lessons to students on a topic of his choice in astronomy and/or space science. He also will make public presentations to general audiences.
Dr. Frank Lungenstraß is Treasurer and Managing Director of the Galileum Solingen. The Galileum Solingen opened in 2019 and is apparently the world’s only planetarium housed in a freestanding spherical gas tank. The former gas tank, with a diameter of 26 m, now houses a planetarium with a 12 m dome and 84 unidirectionally arranged seats. Adjacent to the building is an eight-story building housing the entire infrastructure, including a small exhibition area and a seminar room. The planetarium features a Chronos-2-star projector from Goto and a 4K fulldome system Sky-Explorer from RSA Cosmos. The Galileum Solingen is operated largely on a voluntary basis and without public funding by a sponsoring association: the Walter Horn Society, founded in 1921.
Email: lungenstrass@galileum-solingen.de, Website: https://galileum-solingen.de
IPS professional development opportunities, titled “A Week in the United States,” and “A Week with the Society of the German-Speaking Planetariums” are modelled after a long-running and successful program called “An Astronomical Experience in Italy for an American Planetarium Operator,” also supported by the IPS. The IPS hopes that these initiatives will serve as models for other countries to follow and, as the years pass, evolve into a broader cultural and professional development exchange for planetarians around the world.
The global association of planetarium professionals, IPS has nearly 700 members from 35 countries around the world. They represent schools, colleges and universities, museums, and public facilities of all sizes, including both fixed and portable planetariums.
The primary goal of the Society is to encourage the sharing of ideas among its members through conferences, publications, and networking. By sharing their insights and creative work, IPS members become better planetarians.
————————–
Contacts:
● For more about “A Week with the Society of the German-Speaking Planetariums” or the program logo contact Tilo Hohenschläger at mail@tilohohenschlaeger.com.
● To contact the winner: Shawn Laatsch, shwan.laatsch@maine.edu
● For additional information about the IPS, contact Shannon Schmoll president@ips-planetarium.org You also are invited to
learn more from our website at www.ips-planetarium.org.