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Renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson has accepted an invitation to deliver the Maytum Convocation Lecture at SUNY Fredonia on Wednesday, Sept. 13 at 4 p.m. in King Concert Hall. Dr. Tyson will hold the title of Williams Distinguished Visiting Professor during his two-day visit to campus, which will include discussion opportunities with SUNY Fredonia faculty and students.

Each academic year, SUNY Fredonia sponsors a university-wide convocation to provide greater insight into current issues

Dr. Tyson is the Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. His scheduled speech, “Delusions of Space Enthusiasts,” will expand on the 2006 SUNY Fredonia convocation theme, “Origins of the Future.”

Admission to the Maytum Convocation Lecture with Dr. Tyson is free and open to the public. Advance tickets are available for no cost at the Central Ticket Office, located in the Williams Center at the heart of the SUNY Fredonia campus.

A book signing with Dr. Tyson will be held after the lecture at 5:45 p.m. in the Williams Center. Dr. Tyson is the author of such titles as “The Sky is Not the Limit: Adventures of an Urban Astrophysicist (Doubleday, 2000),” “Just Visiting This Planet (Main Street Books, 1998)” and, most recently, a collection of essays entitled “Death by Black Hole, and Other Cosmic Quandaries (W.W. Norton, 2006).”

In related news, a convocation panel discussion, “Exploring the Cosmos: Where Do We Go From Here?” will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 20 at 4 p.m. in 105 Fenton Hall. Panelists will include SUNY Fredonia faculty members Jack Berkley (geosciences), Justin Conroy (physics), Mike Grady (physics) and Mike Jabot (education).

Dr. Tyson is an expert on such topics as star formation, exploding stars, dwarf galaxies and the structure of the Milky Way. Since 2001, he has received a pair of presidential appointments to serve on federal aerospace and space exploration panels. Dr. Tyson joined the NASA Advisory Committee earlier this year.

In addition to his roles within the American Museum of Natural History and the United States government, Dr. Tyson is an essayist whose work appears monthly in Natural History Magazine. He is also a familiar face on television, serving as co-host on Public Broadcasting System’s four-part miniseries “Origins” and host of “NOVA ScienceNow,” which will debut later this year.

A native of New York City, Dr. Tyson graduated from the Bronx High School of Science before earning his bachelor of arts degree in physics from Harvard University. He collected an MA in astronomy from the University of Texas and a Ph. D in astrophysics from Columbia University.
Tyson has received seven honorary doctorates as well as the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal. The International Astronomical Union has named an asteroid “13123 Tyson” and People Magazine named Dr. Tyson as 2000’s “Sexiest Astrophysicist Alive.”

Dr. Tyson resides in New York City with his wife and two children.