John Good Recognized with UT Outstanding Staff Award

On April 15, The University of Texas at Austin announced its 2025 Outstanding Staff Awards. Thirty-one staff members were selected from a highly competitive pool of nominations. Among those to receive the honor is McDonald Observatory Engineering Scientist John Good.

“John richly deserves the special recognition of a President’s Outstanding Staff Award,” said McDonald Observatory Director Taft Armandroff. “His experience and work ethic are at the root of his extraordinary performance, which has led to this award.”

Over the years, Good has provided opto-mechanical engineering leadership on significant telescope and instrument projects at McDonald Observatory. He was a key member of the teams that originally constructed the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (dedicated in 1997) and later upgraded it (starting in 2016) to significantly expand the telescope’s field of view. Since then, Good has continued to maintain and improve the Hobby-Eberly Telescope, while also contributing to innovative instrumentation on the Harlan J. Smith Telescope and the Giant Magellan Telescope, for which UT Austin is a founding partner.

McDonald Observatory extends its heartfelt gratitude to John Good for his dedication and ongoing commitment to excellence in astronomical research at UT Austin.