Founding Board of the SKA
The Founding Board, formed in April 2011 carried out the preparatory work for the SKA Organisation (SKAO) which was subsequently formed in December 2011.
This global group of people made many of the key decisions which have driven the direction and timeline for development and deployment of the SKA. The founding board is now disbanded, but the SKA thanks and acknowledges the immense hard work that they undertook to help build this global telescope project.

From left to right: 1. Dr. Jinxin Hao, Deputy Director, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences (China) 2. Dr. Franz-Josef Zickgraf, Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (Germany) 3. Patricia Vogel, Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (Netherlands) 4. Jean-Marie Hameury, Institut National des Sciences de l’Univers du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (France) 5. Patricia Kelly, Deputy Secretary, Australian Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research (Australia) 6. Mr Jonathan Kings, Project Director, Ministry of Economic Development (New Zealand) 7. Prof. John Womersley, Director of Science Programmes, Science and Technology Facilities Council (United Kingdom) 8. Dr. Gabriele Villa, Director of Projects Department, Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (Italy) 9. Dr. Val Munsami, Deputy Director General, Department Science and Technology (South Africa). Image credit: INAF
Founding Board Members (disbanded) | |
Financial Authority Representatives: | Science Representatives: |
Australia |
|
Ms Patricia Kelly
Deputy Secretary, Australian Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research |
Prof Brian Boyle
SKA Director anzSKA Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) |
China |
|
Dr Jinxin Hao
Deputy Director, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences |
Dr Bo Peng
National Astronomical Observatories |
France |
|
Dr Jean-Marie Hameury
Institut National des Sciences de l’Univers du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS-INSU) |
Dr Wim van Driel
Observatoire de Paris |
Germany |
|
Dr Franz-Josef Zickgraf
Germany Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) |
Prof Michael Kramer
Max-Planck-Institut fur Radioastronomie |
Italy |
|
Dr Giampaolo Vettolan
iIstituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF) |
Dr Luigina Ferett
iIstituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF) |
New Zealand |
|
Dr Jonathan Kings
Project Director, Ministry of Economic Development |
Dr Melanie Johnston-Hollitt
Chair, New Zealand SKA Research & Development Consortium |
Republic of South Africa |
|
Dr Val Munsami
Deputy Director General, Department Science and Technology |
Dr Bernie Fanaroff
Project Director of SKA Africa |
The Netherlands |
|
Ms Patricia Vogel (Deputy Chair)
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (NWO) |
Prof Mike Garrett
General Director ASTRON |
UK |
|
Professor John Womersley (Chair)
Director Science Programmes, Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) |
Prof Steve Rawlings
University of Oxford |
Observers: | |
Dr Greg Fahlman
National Research Council, Canada |
Dr Russ Taylor
University of Calgary, Canada |
Dr Elena Righi-Steele
European Commission |
|
Ms Rowena Sirey
European Southern Observatory |
|
Dr Yashwant Gupta
National Centre for Radio Astronomy, Pune University campus, India |
Dr Hideyuki Kobayashi
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), Japan |
|
Dr Bong-Gyu Kim
Director of the Radio Division Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI), Korea |
Dr Jongsoo Kim
Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI), Korea |
Board Secretary: | |
Ms Michelle Cooper
Science and Technology Facilities Council |
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