Professor John D. Landstreet is the recipient of the Carlyle S. Beals
Award for 2002. This award was established by the Canadian Astronomical
Society (CASCA) in 1981 in recognition of the groundbreaking research
of the late C.S. Beals. It is awarded to a Canadian astronomer or an
astronomer working in Canada, in recognition of outstanding achievement
in research, either as a specific achievement or as a lifetime of
innovative research. The recipient is invited to address the Society at
its Annual Meeting which, this year, will be held in Penticton (British
Columbia) from May 11 to 14. The meeting will be hosted by the Dominion
Radio Astrophysical Observatory and the Herzberg Institute of
Astrophysics.

Born in Philadelphia, John Darlington Landstreet obtained a B.A. in
physics from Reed College in 1962. He then moved to Columbia University
where he completed a doctoral thesis under the supervision of Prof. L.
Woltjer in 1966. His thesis work was concerned with theoretical
neutrino astrophysics. He became interested in stellar magnetism as a
postdoctoral fellow at Columbia, and, with the help of his collaborator
Roger Angel, he built the first astronomical photoelectric polarimeter
which led, among others, to the discovery of the first magnetic white
dwarf. In 1970, he joined the faculty of the Astronomy Department of
the University of Western Ontario as an Assengint Professor, and then
quickly climbed the ranks, being promoted to Associate Professor in
1972 and Full Professor in 1976.

The name of John Landstreet is closely associated on the international
scene with stellar magnetism. Indeed, he pioneered the modern
observational techniques (optical continuum and line polarimetry) that
are used today all over the world to study the fascinating phenomenon
of magnetism in stars. Exceptionally gifted, he designed and built
top-of-the-line optical instruments, carried out observations at all
the major astronomical observatories, and developed also a unique
expertise in the modelization of magnetic stars. In particular, along
with his students, he created the major theoretical tools needed to
understand the observations of peculiar stars whose atmospheres are
threaded by large-scale magnetic fields. His mastery of both the
observational and theoretical aspects of our science made him one
of the best all-around astronomer-astrophysicists in Canada.

John Landstreet has also left an exceptional imprint on the fabric of
Canadian astronomy. He has generously served on countless national
committees, served also as Chairman of his Department from 1992 to
1996, and was elected President of the Canadian Astronomical Society
for a two-year term in 1996. He is also very active on various
committees of the International Astronomical Union. His record in the
category of the training of highly qualified personal is truly
remarkable: John Landstreet has, so far, trained 11 Ph.D. students,
eight of which pursuing successful careers in astronomy in Canada and
in the United States. One of his students received CASCA’s 1994
Plaskett Medal awarded to the graduate who submitted the best doctoral
thesis in astronomy in a Canadian university.

For more informations:

Professor Gilles Fontaine

Phone: (514) 343-6680

Email: fontaine@astro.umontreal.ca

Professor John D. Landstreet

Phone: (519) 611-2111 x86707

Email: jlandstr@phobos.astro.uwo.ca