LIGO Academic Advisory Council [LAAC]

Members of the LAAC

Ex Officio Members

Charter of the LAAC

The LIGO Academic Advisory Council is charged with advising the LIGO Executive Director and Directorate on issues related to education of students and postdocs who are participating in LIGO and to provide oversight of the quality of the education they receive through their participation in LIGO.

The responsibilities of the LIGO Academic Advisory Committee are to:

1. Serve as an advocate with the LIGO Directorate for the educational aspects across all of LIGO for undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral students.
2. Provide a mechanism to gather and evaluate information concerning LIGO's educational program and recommend improvements to the LIGO Directorate.
3. Meet at least quarterly with the LIGO Directorate to report on and get input and assignments related to LIGO's educational program.
4. Working with LIGO collaborating institutions, help to ensure that the postdoctoral students, graduate students, and undergraduates associated with LIGO get a broad education and quality mentoring in the wide range of science involved in LIGO.

This Council has significant visibility in the LIGO organization, appearing on the ogranizational chart with a direct advisory connection to the Directorate.

Membership

The LIGO Adacemic Advisory Council membership consists of three faculty members who are involved in LIGO, one from Caltech or MIT and the others from other LSC institutions. In addition, there is a post doc representative, and a student representative, each from an LSC institution. Members are chosen by the LIGO Executive Director and the leader of the MIT LIGO group and serve for a 2-year term.