Marijn Franx
Marijn Franx (born 20 July 1960) is a Dutch professor of astronomy at Leiden University. He was a winner of the 2010 Spinoza Prize.{{cite web |author= |url=http://www.nwo.nl/en/research-and-results/programmes/spinoza+prize/spinoza+laureates/overview+in+alphabetical+order/marijn+franx |title=Prof. M. (Marijn) Franx |publisher=Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research |date=27 August 2014 |accessdate=1 August 2015 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304202140/http://www.nwo.nl/en/research-and-results/programmes/spinoza+prize/spinoza+laureates/overview+in+alphabetical+order/marijn+franx |url-status=dead }} His research focuses on the formation and evolution of galaxies. He is involved with both the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes.
Career
Franx was born on 20 July 1960 in Eindhoven.{{cite web|url=https://www.sron.nl/news-mainmenu-588/news-mainmenu-2411/2738-astronomer-marijn-franx-wins-spinoza-prize|title=Astronomer Marijn Franx wins Spinoza Prize|language=Dutch|publisher=SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research|date= 10 July 2010|accessdate=17 March 2016}} He studied astronomy at Leiden University and graduated cum laude in 1984. Four years later he obtained his doctorate from the same university. From 1988 to 1991 Franx was a Junior Fellow of Harvard University.{{cite web |author= |url=http://www.socfell.fas.harvard.edu/current%20and%20former%20jf%20term.html |title=Current and Former Junior Fellows |publisher=Harvard University |date= |accessdate=1 August 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116051400/http://www.socfell.fas.harvard.edu/current%20and%20former%20jf%20term.html |archive-date=16 January 2013 |url-status=dead }} In 1991 he became a Hubble Fellow.{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.stsci.edu/institute/smo/fellowships/hubble/fellows-list/ |title=Hubble Fellowships: Listing of all Hubble Fellows 1990-2014 |publisher=Space Telescope Science Institute |date= |accessdate=1 August 2015}} Between 1993 and 1998 he was professor of astronomy at the University of Groningen, he then moved to Leiden University where he has held the same position since.
In 2008 Franx received a European Research Council Advanced grant of 1.5 million euro.{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.news.leiden.edu/news/marijn-franx.html |title=Marijn Franx to study earliest stellar galaxies |publisher=Leiden University |date=29 August 2008 |accessdate=1 August 2015}} He is member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences since 2009.{{cite web |author= |url=https://www.knaw.nl/en/members/members/7993 |title=Marijn Franx |publisher=Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences |date= |accessdate=1 August 2015 |archive-date=8 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208125119/https://www.knaw.nl/en/members/members/7993 |url-status=dead }}
In 2010 he was one of four winners of the Dutch Spinoza Prize and received a 2.5 million euro grant.{{cite web |author= |url=http://www.nwo.nl/en/research-and-results/programmes/spinoza+prize/spinoza+laureates/overview+by+year/2010 |title=NWO Spinoza Prize 2010 |publisher=Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research |date=27 August 2014 |accessdate=1 August 2015 |archive-date=27 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150627124239/http://www.nwo.nl/en/research-and-results/programmes/spinoza+prize/spinoza+laureates/overview+by+year/2010 |url-status=dead }} The awarding organisation, the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research, praised Franx for being the lead Dutch scientist to use the Hubble Space Telescope and his research on the formation and evolution of galaxies. Franx is the only Dutch scientist to work on the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope.{{cite web |author=Harmen Simon Teunis |url=http://www.bnr.nl/nieuws/603335-1309/nieuwe-mijlpaal-in-ontwikkeling-opvolger-hubble-telescoop |title=Nieuwe mijlpaal in ontwikkeling opvolger Hubble-telescoop |language=Dutch |publisher=BNR Newsradio |date=9 September 2013 |accessdate=1 August 2015 |archive-date=15 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150515230650/http://www.bnr.nl/nieuws/603335-1309/nieuwe-mijlpaal-in-ontwikkeling-opvolger-hubble-telescoop |url-status=dead }}
In March 2016 it was announced that a team of researchers, including Franx, had discovered the farthest galaxy thus far, located at 13.4 billion lightyears.{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.astronomie.nl/#!/actueel/nieuws/_detail/external_gli/astronomen-zien-uitzonderlijk-helder-sterrenstelse/ |title=Astronomen zien uitzonderlijk helder sterrenstelsel op recordafstand |language=Dutch |publisher=Astronomie.nl |date= |accessdate=3 March 2016}}
References
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External links
- [https://www.strw.leidenuniv.nl/people/touchscreen2/persinline.php?id=20 Profile at Leiden University]
- [http://home.strw.leidenuniv.nl/~franx/ Personal website]
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Category:21st-century Dutch astronomers
Category:Dutch astrophysicists
Category:Spinoza Prize winners
Category:Members of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
Category:Leiden University alumni
Category:Academic staff of Leiden University