Foothill astronomy instructor honored

Foothill College astronomy department Chairman Andrew Fraknoi has been awarded the Pinnacle Professor Award for long-standing, distinguished service to the professionalization of astronomy education. Fraknoi, who has taught astronomy at Foothill for 44 years, was honored with the award by his teaching peers earlier this month at the National Astronomy Teaching Summit. Besides teaching courses that attract hundreds of students, Fraknoi has written several astronomy textbooks, runs conferences for teachers, shares ideas among colleagues, has spoken by invitation at many events and has written science fiction books. “Andrew Fraknoi has perhaps influenced more astronomy professors — and their countless numbers of astronomy students — than anyone else teaching astronomy today,” said Timothy Slater of the University of Wyoming, who heads the National Astronomy Teaching Summit Award Committee.