Russell Merle Genet, Ph.D., is a Research Scholar in Residence at California Polytechnic State University.  He is an adjunct professor of astronomy at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo and as the Director of the Orion Observatory, observes eclipsing binary stars and studies cosmic evolution. Russ, who pioneered the world’s first fully robotic observatory (featured in the PBS special, The Perfect Stargazer), was the 51^st President of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. He teaches Astronomy at Cuesta College on California’s central coast, where he lives with his wife and childhood sweetheart, Cheryl.

 Curriculum Vitae

                      Orion Observatory, 4995 Santa Margarita Lake Road, Santa Margarita, CA 93453
                            Phone (805) 438-3305, Fax (805) 438-3355, Email russmgenet@aol.com
                         POSITIONS Director, Orion Observatory Prof. of Astronomy, Cuesta College
                                        Resident Scholar, California Polytechnic State University

MOST RECENT BOOK (2007)  Humanity: The Chimpanzees Who Would Be Ants

CURRENT PROJECTS AND COURSES
Astronomical Research High precision CCD photometry of eclipsing binary stars.
Conference Hawaii Conference on the Evolutionary Epic (Jan. 3-8, 2008)
Cuesta College Credit Courses Introduction to Astronomy, Physics Research Seminar
Cuesta College Community Course  Astronomy at the Telescope
California State Polytechnic University OSHER Institute, Humanity

PAST RESEARCH
1994-2003 Cosmic Evolution Synthesis of physical, biological, and cultural evolution.
Book The Chimpanzees Who Would Be Ants: The Evolutionary Epic of Humanity (1997).
Symposia Organized Evolutionary Views of Humanity, The Epic of Evolution (with Brian Swimme), and Cosmic Evolution and Big History (with David Christian).

1979-1993 Astronomy Founded the Fairborn Observatory (1979). Developed automatic telescopes and established first fully robotic observatory on Mt. Hopkins, Arizona (with Louis Boyd).
Books Photoelectric Photometry of Variable Stars (1982), Real-Time Control With theTRS-80 (1982), Microcomputer Control of Telescopes (1985), Supernovae 1987A (1987), Robotic Observatories (1989), and Telescope Control Handbook (1997).
Papers in Astronomical Journal, Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, etc.
Symposia Organized Eight conferences on variable star photometry and automatic telescopes.
Television Appearances in the PBS documentary The Perfect Stargazer (which featured the Fairborn Observatory’s robotic telescopes), Crawford’s Technology Week, and Horizons.

1970-1990 Systems Analysis Developed computer simulation models of rocket and aircraft, including the first computerized life cycle costs models. Applied medical diagnostic mathematical analysis techniques to equipment fault detection. Developed aircraft flight training simulators.
Papers in the Defense Management Journal, Journal of the Society of Logistics Engineers, etc.

1964-1969 Rocket Design Designed guidance systems for rockets and developed gyroscope and accelerometer tests. Designed reentry plasma experiment for a Gemini space capsule.

PAST TEACHING
2004-2006 Astronomy and Physics at Cuesta College
2003-2006 Astronomy short courses at California Polytechnic State University’s Osher Institute.
1999-2001 Astronomy, Mathematics, History, and Sociology at Central Arizona College.
1975-1983 Individualized aircraft flight training (basic, commercial, instrument).
1971-1973 Mathematics and Electronics, Muskingum Technical Institute.

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Astronomical Society of the Pacific (past President), American Astronomical Society, International Astronomical Union, American Association of Variable Star Observers, and the Institute for the Study of Complex Systems (Fellow).

EDUCATION BS Electrical Engineering, MS Logistics Management, PhD Astronomy.