Our People

Dr. Joseph Eimer | Director

Joseph Eimer headshotJoseph Eimer received his Ph.D. in Physics from Johns Hopkins University in 2013. He is a cosmologist specializing in the design of instrumentation for observations of the Cosmic Microwave Background, including the Cosmology Large Angular Scale Surveyor (CLASS) experiment. Joseph joined MDSGC as Director in 2024.

Dr. Matt Collinge | Deputy Director

photo of Matt CollingeMatt Collinge received his Ph.D. in Astrophysics from Princeton University in 2010. He taught interdisciplinary science for four years as a Science Fellow at Columbia University. His celestial interests range from modern astrophysics to amateur astronomy and the history of cosmology. He has lived in Baltimore since 2011.

Matt joined MDSGC as Deputy Director in 2017. In that role, he manages the day to day operations of MDSGC, oversees its programs, coordinates with member institutions and prospective partner organizations, and investigates new ways to leverage Maryland’s Space Grant for the maximum benefit to the state. He is the primary point of contact for general inquiries to MDSGC and for questions about proposing for funding or other forms of partnership.

Cheryl Dillard-Ewing | Grants/Contracts Analyst

Cheryl Dillard-EwingCheryl Dillard-Ewing joined MDSGC in 1992, as a secretary and desktop publisher, and now serves the Consortium as a grants and contracts analyst; she is also a member of the Scholarship Committee, coordinating and facilitating student tuition and internship support; and she is the administrator of education programs supported by the Consortium.

Dr. Richard Conn Henry | Senior Advisor

Richard Conn HenryDick Henry is an Academy Professor in the William H. Miller III Department of Physics and Astronomy at The Johns Hopkins University, where he is also a member of the Principal Professional Staff, Applied Physics Laboratory, and was the founding director of Maryland Space Grant Consortium (1989-2024). From 1998 until July 2000, Dick Henry was Chair of the National Council of Space Grant Directors, and he has also served as Board Member and Treasurer of the National Space Grant Foundation. From 1976 to 1978 he was Deputy Director of the Astrophysics Division of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA. He is a past Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellow. He was born in Toronto, Canada, in 1940, and he became a U. S. citizen in 1973.

Dick Henry was graduated from Ridley College in 1957, and obtained a B.Sc. (1961) at University College, University of Toronto, where he won the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Gold Medal. He obtained an M.A. in 1962, and a Ph.D. at Princeton University in 1967.

Ezra Sukay | Observatory Fellow

Ezra Sukay is the current Observatory Fellow. He is a graduate student at the Johns Hopkins University in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. His research focuses on galaxy evolution. He uses spatially resolved spectroscopy to characterize galaxy kinematics and outflows. As the Observatory Fellow, Ezra leads the outreach and training activities performed with the Morris W. Offit Telescope.

Former Observatory Fellows

Program Committee

Joseph Eimer
Director, MDSGC
The Johns Hopkins University

Matt Collinge
Deputy Director, MDSGC
The Johns Hopkins University

Uday J. Shankar
Principal Professional Staff
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

Guangming Chen
Director, Systems Engineering & Management Institute
Morgan State University

Mary L. Bowden
Associate Graduate Director, Aerospace Engineering
Director, MDSGC Balloon Payload Program
University of Maryland at College Park

Christine Maceo
Supervisory Engineer, Space Systems Engineering Lab
U.S. Naval Academy

James Overduin
Professor, Physics, Astronomy, and Geosciences
Towson University

Abhijit Nagchaudhuri
Professor, Mechanical Engineering
University of Maryland Eastern Shore

Carlos Romero-Talamás
Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering
University of Maryland Baltimore County

Marcel Mabson
Adjunct Professor, Astronautical Engineering
Capitol Technology University

Jeff Goldstein
Director
National Center for Earth & Space Science Education

Ed Sigler
Associate Professor, Engineering
Hagerstown Community College

About MDSGC | Message from the Director | Our People | Our Members | Contact Us