Chris Impey

Chris Impey is a University Distinguished Professor of Astronomy at the University of Arizona's Steward Observatory, where he has held the Elizabeth Roemer Endowed Chair. Impey has served as Deputy Head of the Astronomy Department and Associate Dean of the College of Science. His research in observational cosmology, galaxies, and quasars, supported by grants from NASA and the National Science Foundation, emphasizes extragalactic astronomy. Impey has contributed to the refinement of gravitational lensing techniques and has utilized ground-based observatories and the Hubble Space Telescope to advance the study of quasars and the intergalactic medium.

Impey has received recognition for both his research and teaching in astronomy and astrophysics. He has earned multiple teaching awards and has taught online courses with hundreds of thousands of enrolled students. Impey leads one of the largest undergraduate astronomy programs in the United States and a major astronomy PhD program, mentoring numerous graduate and undergraduate students. He has been recognized as an NSF Distinguished Teaching Scholar, the Carnegie Council's Arizona Professor of the Year, a Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar, and the first astronomer named a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor.

As a science communicator, Impey has authored more than 120 popular articles on cosmology and astrobiology, two college-level textbooks, a novel titled "Shadow World," and several popular science books. His titles include "The Living Cosmos," "How It Ends," "How It Began," "Dreams of Other Worlds," "Humble Before the Void," "Beyond: The Future of Space Travel," "Einstein's Monsters: The Life and Times of Black Holes," and "Worlds Without End: Exoplanets, Habitability, and the Future of Humanity." Impey's books present developments in modern astronomy in accessible narratives for a broad audience. He received the Lewis Thomas Prize for Writing about Science from Rockefeller University, an international award recognizing excellence in science writing.

Impey regularly engages audiences beyond academia, delivering public talks to diverse groups, including NASA engineers, students, and legal professionals. He has participated in science education initiatives for Buddhist monks in India, an experience that inspired his book "Humble Before the Void." Impey has served as an astronomy enrichment lecturer for cruise lines and has presented at institutions such as California Academy of Sciences and Armagh Observatory. As a past Vice President of the American Astronomical Society and recipient of its Education Prize, Impey co-chaired the Education and Public Outreach Study Group for the National Academy of Sciences' Decadal Survey, contributing to science education and public outreach in astronomy.