Yale astrophysicist elected head of American Astronomical Society

Astrophysicist C. Megan Urry, chair of Yale's physics department, has been elected the next president of the world's premier astronomical society. The first Yale professor elected to the post, Urry will become the 45th president of the 114-year-old American Astronomical Society (AAS) in 2014, the group announced. Elected by AAS members, Urry will serve as president-elect for a year, beginning in June, then as president for a two-year term beginning June 2014. She will succeed David Helfand of Columbia University. Founded in 1899 and based in Washington, D.C., the AAS is the major organization of professional astronomers in North America. It has about 7,500 members and publishes two major peer-reviewed research journals, The Astrophysical Journal and The Astronomical Journal, as well as the Astronomy Education Review. Urry, an expert in supermassive black holes and a prominent advocate for women in science, will remain at Yale full time during her leadership of AAS, she said.