Jim Sweitzer brings over thirty-years experience at the
forefront of science communications to his role as principal of SCC.
Educated at the University of Notre Dame (B.S. Physics,
1973) and the University of Chicago (Ph.D. Astrophysics, 1978), he began his
career at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago where he served as Associate
Director. In 1991, he joined the Center for Astrophysical Research in
Antarctica, based at the University of Chicago. He made two trips to the South
Pole as the Center’s Assistant Director to oversee the construction of
observatories in that outer space-like environment.
In 1996, he brought his combined experiences to the task of
Director of Special Projects for the Rose Center for Earth and Space Science in
New York City. In this position, he was responsible for the development and
implementation of scientific content for the new facility, as well as acting as
executive producer of its critically acclaimed inaugural space show, Passport
to the Universe.
Returning to Chicago in 2002, Jim served as director of De
Paul University’s Space Science Center, acting as a liaison between NASA’s
Space Science missions and the educational communities of a seven-state
Midwestern region.
In 2004, he launched his own science communications
business, SCC.
Jim is a member of The Climate Project, trained by former
Vice President Al Gore in 2007 and 2009. He is a strong advocate for raising
awareness about the problems of global warming and educating for change.
He is also the author of a number of popular articles on
astronomy for both adults and children and the winner of the Hughes-Griffith
Observer Prize for Best Astronomical Essay. He served as science advisor for
Scholastic Publishing’s two series Space University and Ultimate Space.
Jim is a member of the American Association for the
Advancement of Science, the American Astronomical Society, the International
Astronomical Union, the American Geophysical Union, the International Planetarium Society, and the Great Lakes
Planetarium Association, with whom he is a fellow. The Mid-Atlantic, East Coast
and Great Lakes Planetarium Associations honored him with the Armand
Spitz/Margaret Noble Award for planetarium leadership in 2007. He was a featured speaker at the annual Science Visualization Film Festival held in Tokyo in 2010. He recently completed a course in Improvisation Techniques at The Second City in Chicago.
