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Top EndTom GeballeHead of UKIRT Operations, Joint Astronomy Centre, HiloIn October, after seventeen years, I will leave UKIRT and the Joint Astronomy Centre to become an employee of Gemini North. It is not easy for me to say goodbye (not even in a written document) to the people and an organisation to which I owe so much. However, the fact that I am only moving next door and to a telescope which belongs partly to the U.K. and whose development is heavilly influenced by UKIRT and ROE personnel, makes it a bit easier.I remember knowing next to nothing about UKIRT when I accepted the offer to move to Hawaii in 1981. I think that at that time the only IR astronomers I had met from the British Isles were David Aitken and Ian Gatley. Carole's and my decision was born partly out of adventure, partly out of previous pleasant (though brief) experiences on the Big Island and, to be honest, partly out of desperation – at that time my third post-doctoral fellowship was drawing to a close and I had no other tangible job offers. The situation turned out to be ideal for me. Both UKIRT and I have thrived here. I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to those who conceived of the telescope, those who were here before me building it and getting it over the first few very large hurdles, the very few who are still here, and the many who have come (and gone in some cases) while I have been in Hawaii. By taking advantage of numerous key technological advances, making intelligent and realistic decisions, and by doing the necessary hard work, all of us made UKIRT into a telescope that nobody could have foreseen when it was designed. On a personal level, UKIRT literally has made my career in astronomy and brought it to a level that I could not have achieved elsewhere. It is not easy to quantify this, however, I can state that I came here in 1981 with 30 publications in refereed journals; I leave with 200, virtually all of the ones since 1981 being based on UKIRT data. There will be many more! Looking into my crystal ball, I foresee that UKIRT will continue to be an exciting telescope both to visit and to work at for at least the next ten years (about as far into the future as one can safely predict in astronomy). In part this bright future will be because of the success of the Upgrades Programme, the bevy of new state-of-the-art instruments about to arrive, and the exciting plans being drawn up now for future observing modes, instruments, and improvements. However, what really convinces me that UKIRT’s success will continue is two other factors : first, the enthusiastic support UKIRT consistently and deservably receives from the community of astronomers it serves, and second, the commitment and ingenuity of the UKIRT staff, which amazingly is able to revitalise and outdo itself as its makeup changes. The appointment of Andy Adamson as my successor is going to lead to one more example of this latter phenomenon. Most important to me is that I have thoroughly enjoyed working and playing with everyone associated with UKIRT and the JAC – in administration, science, engineering, technical support and software. I have made the decision to move to Gemini expecting that I will continue to enjoy interacting with UKIRT and JAC staff when my office is next door. After I officially leave the JAC I intend to continue to use UKIRT (PATT willing!), to follow its development closely, to advise on strategic issues if asked, and probably to advise on various issues even if not asked. I hope and expect that my strong bond with UKIRT and the JAC will assist in developing and maintaining a good relationship between the JAC and Gemini. Aloha all!
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