Laatsch to serve as head of International Planetarium Society
Shawn Laatsch, director of the University of Maine’s Emera Astronomy Center and M.F. Jordan Planetarium, will soon begin a two-year term as president of International Planetarium Society, Inc. Laatsch’s appointment begins Jan. 1, 2017 and runs through Dec. 31, 2018. The society, which has roughly 700 members from 40 different countries, promotes astronomy and space education using planetariums, offers professional development to members, and hosts a biennial conference. During his tenure, Laatsch will speak at planetariums across the globe and oversee the group’s 2018 conference in Toulouse, France.