<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=windows-1252"><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=windows-1252"><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=windows-1252"><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=windows-1252">
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=Windows-1252"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;"><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Dear ASAP Members,</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>The NSF Astronomy Division <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=244536&org=AST&from=news">announced</a> the results of their </div><div>management re-competition for Arecibo this week, and the result is </div><div>that the University of Central Florida (UCF) will be the lead partner </div><div>with Yang Enterprises (YEI) and Universidad Metropolitana (UMET) </div><div>in secondary roles. (<a href="https://today.ucf.edu/ucf-led-consortium-manage-arecibo-observatory-puerto-rico/">UCF announcement</a>) The transition to UCF </div><div>management is scheduled to occur on April 1st.</div><div><br></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Prof. Ray Lugo, Director or the UCF Florida Space Institute, will </div><div>be the head and UCF Prof. Yanga Fernández the Principal Investigator. </div><div>Eng. Francisco Córdova will continue as Observatory Director under </div><div>UCF, Christiano Brum the on-site Director of Science for all three areas: </div><div>radio astronomy, atmospheric and planetary studies. Sr. Felipe Soberal </div><div>will lead the YEI team, which will have responsibility for maintenance, </div><div>electronics, IT and telescope operations. Sr. Andy Ortez will lead the </div><div>UMET Education and Public Outreach Activities and while continuing </div><div>to manage the Science and Visitors Center.</div><div><br></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>The new management will continue investigations in all three of </div><div>Arecibo’s science areas as above. The management will remain in </div><div>Puerto Rico. The NSF RFP opened the possibility that ownership of </div><div>the Observatory might be transferred, but apparently no formal agree-</div><div>ment has yet been reached on this question. Of course, the new AO </div><div>managers will have to cope with a steep decline in the level of funding </div><div>by the NSF.</div><div><br></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Final good news is that the Observatory expects $14.3 million </div><div>in funding for hurricane relief. The AO budget for this relief has been </div><div>submitted to the NSF for approval by the Congress. AO is now back </div><div>on grid power but the high speed internet fibre reconnection is still to</div><div>happen.</div><div><br></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>The ASAP Board is in the process of making contact with the new </div><div>management team, and several ASAP Board members plan to be at </div><div>Arecibo during the week of the management transition. </div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Best regards,</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Secretary</div><div><br></div><div><blockquote type="cite"><div lang="EN-US" link="blue" vlink="purple"><div class="WordSection1" style="page: WordSection1;"><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br></div></div></div></blockquote></div></body></html>