If you’re a science nerd like I am, you’ve probably heard of Neil deGrasse Tyson. For the unenlightened, Tyson is an internationally known astrophysicist and director of the American Museum of Natural History’s Hayden Planetarium in New York City.  Tyson is also host of the popular PBS television show NOVA ScienceNOW. A frequent fixture on television on and off of PBS, Dr. Tyson will be coming to Penn State to give the give the 2011 Arthur H. Waynick Memorial Lecture. Tyson’s talk is scheduled to take place on April 8th at 8pm in Eisenhower Auditorium. The event is sponsored by the Department of Electrical Engineering and the Student Programming Association. Tickets will be distributed for free at all the usual locations (HUB, Eisenhower, BJC, Downtown Theatre).

Dr. Tyson served on the Commission on the Future of the United States Aerospace Industry and the Commission on Implementation of United States Space Exploration Policy, both under President Bush. In addition, he was awarded the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal, the highest civilian honor given out by NASA. Tyson was also part of the group of astronomers who presented the case that Pluto did not deserve to be considered a planet, based on its similarities to other non-planets.