WKU Professor, African Nation
Working On Telescope Plan
May 28, 2004
Bowling Green, Ky. - The stars may be aligning for a telescope project between Western Kentucky University and the African nation of Rwanda.
Romain Murenzi, the Rwandan Minister of Science, Technology, Research and Education, has asked Dr. Charles McGruder, the William McCormack Professor in Physics at WKU, to develop a plan to install a research grade telescope in Rwanda.
Dr. McGruder visited Rwanda last fall, met with the prime minister and other government officials and toured possible telescope sites. Now he's working on a budget for the project, which will require approval and funding by the Rwandan government.
If funded and built, the telescope would have a major impact on the African nation and on WKU, Dr. McGruder said.
"The telescope project would be a source of national pride for Rwanda," he said of the war-torn country. "Discoveries made using this telescope would make Rwandans proud."
Dr. McGruder's interest in the Rwandan project extends beyond astronomy to his love of Africa, the home of his wife. "This would be my contribution to Africa's development," he said.
The project could become a model for the rest of Africa. "If this becomes successful, it will encourage other countries to follow suit. It will have a tremendous impact," Dr. McGruder said.
And it could open the door to other collaborations between WKU and Rwanda.
"I would like to develop a relationship and a real partnership between Western Kentucky University and the National University of Rwanda," Dr. McGruder said.
The telescope would expand Western's proposed worldwide network of telescopes and its STARBASE program, which emphasizes hands-on scientific research by undergraduate and high school students, and provide additional research opportunities for faculty and students.
During his visit to the National University of Rwanda, "I gave a talk about what we do at Western Kentucky University and it was obvious this was the perfect marriage," he said.
"I think it's going to benefit everybody. That's how joint projects should be."
For more information, contact Dr. Charles McGruder at (270) 745-5277. More WKU news is available on the World Wide Web at www.wku.edu. If you'd like to receive WKU news via E-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.
