Donald Wayne Kurtz (1948 – ) is an astronomer known for his research into

asteroseismology Asteroseismology or astroseismology is the study of oscillations in stars. Stars have many resonant modes and frequencies, and the path of sound waves passing through a star depends on the speed of sound, which in turn depends on local temperature ...

. He completed his PhD in astronomy at the

University of Texas The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...

in 1976 before moving to

Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...

, where he became a professor at the

University of Cape Town The University of Cape Town (UCT) ( af, Universiteit van Kaapstad, xh, Yunibesithi ya yaseKapa) is a public research university in Cape Town, South Africa. Established in 1829 as the South African College, it was granted full university statu ...

. In 2001, after 25 years in South Africa, he moved to the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

where he taught at the

University of Central Lancashire , mottoeng = "From the Earth to the Sun" , established = as Institution for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledgere-established 1992 (University status granted) , type = Public , chancellor ...

till 2020 and is now an emeritus professor at UCLan. In 2020 Don was appointed Extraordinary Professor at

North-West University af , Noordwes-Universiteit , image = https://www.nwu.ac.za/sites/www.nwu.ac.za/files/NWU-Logo-SW.png , motto = ''Dit Begin Alles Hier (Afrikaans)'' ''Gotlhe Go Simolola Fano (Setswana)'' , mottoeng ...

(NWU) and became a Visiting Professor of Astrophysics at the

University of Lincoln , mottoeng = Freedom through wisdom , established = 1861 – Hull School of Art1905 – Endsleigh College1976 – Hull College1992 – University of Humberside1996 – University of Lincolnshire and Humberside2001 � ...

. Don is a past councillor and Vice-President of the Royal Astronomical Society and has served as President of Commission 27 of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) and on many international committees. Don Kurtz is best known for discovering oscillations in what is now known as rapidly-oscillating Ap (roAp) stars. but has made many contributions to the study of oscillating stars and was President of the International Astronomical Union Commission on Variable Stars. He is also well-known in his field for his public presentations and his advice to scientists on how to present their research well. His regular live on-line Q&A sessions known a
Astro-Chats with professor Don Kurtz
organised by the

, are attracting hundreds of attendees. Professor Kurtz is a recipient of the Royal Astronomical Society’s 2022 Service Award.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kurtz, Donald Living people American astronomers 1948 births