Bio

Edward J. Devinney, Jr. received a B.A. in Physics from LaSalle University and a Ph.D. in Astronomy and Astrophysics from the University of Pennsylvania. His astronomical interests include instrumentation, observational aspects of solar eclipses and binary stars, including black hole binaries. He is widely known for the “Wilson/Devinney” computer code for binary star light-curve analysis used by scores of astronomers, which enjoys over 700 literature citations. His ten-year academic career in the Florida university system included two years as a National Academy of Sciences Senior Postdoctoral Fellow at NASA Goddard Space Center. A subsequent industry career included nine years with Siemens US research labs as Department Head, Artificial Intelligence and Chief Scientist. He spun out a high-technology company from Siemens and served seven years as CEO. Currently, he is Visiting Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at Villanova University. His long interest in philosophy and religion stems from his undergraduate education, which included minors in both topics. He is also strongly interested in the philosophy of science. He is an inveterate fan of cultures, music and language, and aspires to be a Renaissance Person in his next life.