Infrared Astronomy with Arrays The Next Generation

Dr. McLean has been a member of the faculty at UCLA and Director of the UCLA Infrared Laboratory for Astrophysics since 1989. He has served as Vice Chair for Astronomy since 2009. The IR Lab at UCLA is well-known for the development of many astronomical instruments for the Keck Observatory and other telescopes. Dr. McLean is one of the world s leading authorities on the application of electronic imaging systems to advanced astronomical instrumentation. He has written over 300 articles and his current book, Electronic Imaging in Astronomy: detectors and instrumentation, published by Springer is in its second edition.
Dr. McLean received his BSc(Hons) in Physics & Astronomy and his PhD in Astronomy from Glasgow University (UK) in 1971 and 1974 respectively. While a member of staff at the Royal Observatory Edinburgh from 1979-1989 he developed the first CCD-based imaging spectro-polarimeter and the first facility-class camera for the 3.8-m UK Infrared Telescope to use infrared arrays. Since joining UCLA, his lab has delivered or assisted in all of the currently operational infrared instruments at the W. M. Keck Observatory. Dr. McLean was the principal investigator for the NIRSPEC and MOSFIRE instruments at Keck, the twin-channel infrared camera at Lick Observatory and the FLITECAM instrument for NASA s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy. He served on the Science Steering Committee for the W. M. Keck Observatory for ten years and he is an Associate Director of the University of California Observatories. Dr. McLean is a former president of IAU Commission 25 (Photometry and Polarimetry) and a former president of IAU Commission 9 (Instrumentation and Techniques). He is a member of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) and the Society of Professional Instrument Engineers (SPIE). His research interests are broad. From his early career he is known for many discoveries involving the intrinsic polarization of starlight. Currently, his main research involves the study of sub-stellar mass objects (brown dwarfs), star forming regions, the galactic center, and star-formation in high-redshift galaxies.