Rick Fienberg Email & Phone Number

I'm an astronomer specializing in science communication, education, and public outreach. I have a B.A. in physics and an M.A. and Ph.D. in astronomy, but while I was in graduate school I discovered that I enjoy teaching and writing about astronomy more than doing research. I hit the jackpot in 1986, a year after finishing my doctorate, when I found a position as an assistant editor at Sky & Telescope, the world's leading monthly magazine for astronomy enthusiasts. Within 5 years I was running its parent company, Sky Publishing. After 9 years of immersing myself in all aspects of the publishing business -- including circulation, advertising, finance, and production -- I returned full-time to editorial when our longtime editor retired. After 8 years as editor in chief, I finally got tired of the monthly grind and left the magazine. For the 2008-09 academic year I served as a visiting scientist and astronomy instructor at Phillips Academy, the prestigious college-preparatory school in Andover, Massachusetts. Then I spent 12 years managing press relations for the American Astronomical Society. Although the AAS is based in Washington, DC, I worked remotely from my 18th-century former sheep farm in rural New Hampshire, where I have my own private observatory under dark skies. I retired from full-time employment in September 2021 and while still contributing to the efforts of Sky & Telescope and the American Astronomical Society, I am finally pursuing some other interests that I didn't have time for while working.Specialties: I'm an astronomer first and foremost, so my main professional concern is ensuring that people take a rational, objective, reality-based approach to life. I encourage this behavior through my science communication: writing, editing, and teaching.

Listed skills include Astronomy, Editing, Science, Science Communication, and 26 others.