Fellows mentioned in this story: Rich Matsuda

From Hawai‘i Public Radio:

The first Hawaiʻi-born director of Hawaiʻi Island's Keck Observatory, Rich Matsuda, spoke to The Conversation about how his background gives him a unique perspective of astronomy's relationship with local culture.

The observatory on Maunakea announced his permanent role last week. Matsuda has worked at Keck for over 30 years, joining the company after leaving Boeing in 1993.

The W. M. Keck Observatory announced the appointment of Rich Matsuda as its next director, effective Jan. 1, 2024.

The Punahou alum has an electrical engineering degree from the University of Washington.

"I believe my background of being a local boy raised in Hawaiʻi really does give me a unique perspective in terms of the values that I'm grounded in, in terms of the importance of respectful relationships in the community," Matsuda said.

Top of mind for Matsuda is the intersection of culture and science, particularly in light of the protests against the Thirty Meter Telescope in 2019. Those who oppose the TMT project say it will desecrate land held sacred to Native Hawaiians.

"Honestly, I think the situation around TMT and then the protest movement that occurred created some really deeply held feelings on the subject of astronomy on Maunakea. And so I believe, you know, relationship building and seeking mutual understanding is the place we need to start and work really hard at," he told The Conversation.

Listen at hawaiipublicradio.org.