Geoffrey Marcy ’76

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Geoff is the dominant figure in a very challenging area of astrophysics: the discovery of new planets. Just last year, the team that he heads at San Francisco State University discovered two more, bringing to 11 the total such discoveries for which Geoff is directly responsible. His research provides a critical first step in answering the question of whether life exists elsewhere in the planets. Recipient of the International Astronomical Union Bioastronomy Medal in 1997, Geoff received the California State Senate Certificate of Recognition in 1996 and was named one of Newsweek’s 100 Americans for the Next Century.