Thomas Bania

Thomas Bania is a Professor of Astronomy at Boston University and a founding member of the Institute for Astrophysical Research. His career spans decades of pioneering work in radio spectroscopy and Galactic studies.

• Education: A.B. from Brown University, M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Astronomy from The University of Virginia (1977)

Research focuses on the interstellar medium of the Milky Way and other galaxies, utilizing radio spectroscopy to study Galactic structure, chemical evolution, and nucleosynthesis. Key projects include the Antarctic Sub-millimeter Telescope (AST/RO), the Galactic Ring Survey, and the NASA Spitzer GLIMPSE Legacy Science team.

His scientific leadership includes detecting the 327 MHz hyperfine transition of deuterium at Haystack Observatory and mapping carbon monoxide distributions in the Galactic Center. He continues to serve as a Trustee of the Northeast Radio Observatory Corporation, operating Haystack Observatory.