Richard C. Canfield Chosen to Write Solar Physics Memoir for 2021

We are delighted to announce that Richard Canfield, as well as George Doschek, has been chosen to write a Solar Physics Memoir for 2021.

Prof. Canfield was unable to commit immediately, hence the delay in this announcement. He recently retired from Montana State University, the third major solar group (in addition to UC San Diego and U. Hawai`i) in whose formation he was instrumental. Prof. Canfield’s career and interests span a wide range of topics – from spectroscopic diagnostics and radiative transfer, especially of the flaring chromosphere, to solar magnetic fields and the origins and implications of magnetic helicity in the solar atmosphere. Prof. Canfield won the 2013 Hale Prize of the Solar Physics Division of the AAS with recognition of his roles not just as a scientific leader, but also as a mentor and teacher (and purveyor of colorful phrases). With stories in mind from his early days at Sacramento Peak Observatory to Mees Solar Observatory to the wilds of Montana, the selection committee picked Prof. Canfield to address the memoir series’ three main goals: 

(1) to honor colleagues for distinguished careers,
(2) to provide long-term personal perspectives on solar science; and
(3) to help educate younger members of the community. 

The selection committee is chaired by Ed Cliver and includes Peng-Fei Chen, Jim Klimchuk, K.D. Leka, Eric Priest, Kazunari Shibata, Sami Solanki, Astrid Veronig, and Michael Wheatland.  Please contact any of them with suggestions for next year’s honoree.

Lidia van Driel-Gesztelyi and Ed Cliver