LBTC

The Large Binocular Telescope Corporation (LBTC) is the legal entity governing the Observatory. LBTC is a non-profit (501c3) organization incorporated in the State of Arizona. 

LBTC has currently four Members which constitute the LBTC Collaboration, made of research institutes and universities in Germany, Italy, and the United States. 50% of the shares are in Europe and 50% in the USA.  

Member Representatives

Unanimous approval by the Member Representatives is required for matters such as the program plan, the budget of LBTC, the financial contributions of the Members, and the designation of the LBT Director.
 

Board of Directors

LBTC’s Board of Directors (BoD) meets twice a year (generally in March/April and in September/October). It governs the life of the Corporation as well as the Observatory.

It votes on the budget as well as the annual program plan proposed by the LBT Director.

It also votes on various issues such as development priorities, new instrumentation, time allocations for science or instrument commissioning within the partnership, or policies on data handling or scientific dissemination.

Two advisory committees assist the BoD: the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC; chair Eduardo Banados, LBTB) for science-driven advice on the scientific, technical and operational matters at the Observatory, and the Finance Committee (FC; Treasurer/chair Mathias Voss, LBTB) for finance-related issues.

There are currently eight members on the BoD, one per 12.5% share of the Corporation.

Current Board members (January 2023)

Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC)

The SAC provides advice, solicited or otherwise, to the Board and the LBTO Director on all matters relating to scientific, technical and operational aspects of the LBT collaboration. The Committee shall provide its advice to the Board and the Director in formal reports and recommendations submitted to the Board by the SAC chair through the LBTO Director. 
 

SAC Composition (January 2023)

Voting members

  •  Eduardo Banados (LBTB – MPIA, Heidelberg) – Chair
  •  Serena Benatti (INAF – Osservatorio Astronomico di Polermo)
  •  John Eisner (AZ – University of Arizona)
  •  Rick Pogge (OSU – Ohio State University) – Vice Chair


At large members

  •  Sarah Tuttle (University of Washington)
  •  Chick Woodward (University of Minnesota)


Ex-Officio Member

  • Joseph Shields (LBTO Director)

Finance Committee

There are four voting FC members, one from each partner:

  • Mathias Voss, LBTB (Chair)
  • Mark Buglewicz, AZ
  • Nicole Cochran, OSU
  • Ugo Di Giammatteo, INAF 


Five additional members at large are also allowed. 

There are currently three at large members:

  • Danny Gasch, RC (Vice-Chair)
  • Leonie Heming, LBTB
  • David Pappone, UMinn