Wayne Rosing visits Cardiff University
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On the 7th and 8th December Wayne Rosing visited Cardiff University to see the home of the FT Project in the UK and to finalise details that have made the FT Project the education arm of Las Cumbres Observatory.
In recent months, FTP has been swept along in the slipstream of Wayne Rosing and his visionary project, Las Cumbres Observatory (LCO) Global Telescope Network. To find one wealthy businessman passionate about education and astronomy, with a willingness to fund something that links the two, is a rare thing. To have another one come along with an even bigger project is truly remarkable. Faulkes' move to California led to meetings with Rosing, who had a plan for a telescope network for research and education. The synergy of Faulkes' and Rosing's ideas has led to FTP becoming the educational arm of LCO, with an expanded remit and future access to more facilities. Access for UK education is now free, hopefully opening the floodgates for many more schools to become involved. Free access globally will come as the LCO network of telescopes grows.
Wayne Rosing grew up with a passion for astronomy, telescope making and electronics. His interest in control systems led to a career in computer architecture and engineering management. Described as a legend in the computing industry, his professional career spanned Apple Computer, Sun Microsystems, ending earlier this year when he retired as Google's Senior Vice President of Engineering. This left him with the funds (and energy!) to turn his vision into reality, and since retirement he has travelled the world in pursuit of this dream.
