The Fellowship Award is SEPA’s highest honor and is presented annually for lifetime achievement in the planetarium field. SEPA’s award criteria include “integrity, friendship, service, knowledge and vision.” “Bob Hayward was one of the first people hired at PARI,” said Don Cline, PARI founder and president. “He came to me with the idea of establishing a portable planetarium program that could be taken to area schools to enrich the science curriculum. Under Bob’s leadership and guidance, the StarLab Planetarium program has grown to be one of North Carolina’s most viewed astronomy attractions. StarLab has traveled to schools throughout Western North Carolina and has been available for public programs at libraries and other venues. To date, more than 55,000 people have seen a StarLab planetarium show.” “SEPA’s Fellowship Award is one of the most prestigious honors in the field of science education,” said PARI Education Director Christi Whitworth, “and I can’t think of a more deserving individual. I’ve worked with Dr. Bob for several years and never fail to be impressed by his commitment to the children. He truly exemplifies the PARI mission of attracting young people to science by making it interesting and fun.” “During his years at PARI, Dr. Bob has touched the lives of countless school children,” said Dr. Dave Clavier, PARI vice president of administration and development, “and he has enriched the lives of all who have known him. The PARI community joins SEPA in recognizing Dr. Bob’s lifetime commitment to astronomy education.” Dr. Bob is also well known in the community for his monthly column, Mountain Skies, that has appeared in the Transylvania Times newspaper for several years. Said Times Editor John Lanier, “Bob is an editor’s dream. He has that rare ability to explain astronomical concepts in terms that are interesting and easy for readers to understand. His articles are always informative and timely--- a real asset to our paper.” Dr. Bob Hayward received a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Science degree at the University of Florida, earned his Ph.D. at Georgia State University and worked for many years at the Fernbank Science Center in Atlanta. He began working at PARI in 2001 while he and his wife, Karen, were building a home at Indian Camp Mountain, Rosman. They finished the home in 2002 and moved from Stone Mountain, GA. About PARI The Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI) is a not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) foundation established in 1998. Located in the Pisgah Forest 30 miles southwest of Asheville, NC, the PARI campus is a dark sky location for astronomy and was selected in 1962 by NASA as the site for one of the first U.S. satellite tracking facilities. Today, the 200 acre campus houses radio and optical telescopes, earth science instruments, 30 buildings, a fulltime staff and all the infrastructure necessary to support STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education and research. PARI offers educational programs at all levels, from K-12 through post-graduate research. The institute is a member of the NC Grassroots Museum Collaborative, a partner in NC OPT-ED and is affiliated with the 16-campus University of North Carolina system through PARSEC, a UNC Center hosted at PARI. For more information about PARI and its programs, visit www.pari.edu.