The Fairborn Observatory was established in 1979 by Russell (Russ) Genet in Fairborn, Ohio. Besides making photoelectric observations of eclipsing binaries, Russ organized annual conferences on photometry and the use of microcomputers in astronomy. In 1981, Russ was joined by Louis (Lou) Boyd, and together they pioneered the first microcomputer-controlled telescopes and observatories. The Fairborn Observatory was moved to the clear skies of Mt. Hopkins in Arizona in 1985, expanding to seven robotic telescopes housed in a fully automated (unmanned) observatory.
Russ established the Fairborn Institute to pursue his lifelong interest in cosmic evolution. Russ organized the Institute’s first conference, The Epic of Evolution, in 1995 (with Brian Swimme), and his first book on comic evolution, The Chimpanzees Who Would Be Ants, was published in 1997. Since then, there have been almost a dozen conferences and workshops, many with proceedings published as books. There was also a revised cosmic evolution book in 2007, and a new version is currently being written. The next workshop is planned for Hawaii in mid-February 2027, perhaps followed by another international conference with published proceedings in 2028.
Contact
Email: russmgenet@aol.com
Snailmail:
Fairborn Institute
610 E Tahoe Vista Circle
Payson, Arizona
Fairborn Institute
Director
Russell M. Genet
Russ’s lifelong interests have been cosmic evolution (the synthesis of physical, biological, and cultural evolution), astronomy, and aviation. Currently Russ is working on his latest cosmic evolution book, The Great Planetary Transition: Deep Evolution and the Future of AI, Humanity, and Earth, teaching astronomy research courses at Gila Community College and, at making instrument approaches in his Cherokee 180 airplane. Russ has a BS in electrical engineering and a PhD in astronomy. He pioneered the development of robotic telescopes in the 1980s, was President of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific from 1993 to 1995, and initiated the Astronomy Research Seminars in 2007 that have now spread to many schools. Russ is the author or coauthor of many books and papers, see https://orcid.org/0009-0002-8020-3459. For additional background visit Russell Merle Genet on Wikipedia or read his memoir, Making Childhood Dreams Come True (Amazon).
Board Members
Dwight Collins is Dean Emeritus and a member of the founding faculty at the Presidio
Graduate School (PGS). Dr. Collins was Dean of the Presidio MBA Program from 2013 to
2015. He co-founded the Presidio’s Experiential Learning Program and taught his signature
Sustainable Operations and Supply Chain Management course from 2004 to 2021. He is
currently a member of the School's Faculty Council and co-teaches a course in Regenerative
Business Practices. Dr. Collins was Founder and President of the Collins Educational
Foundation (CEF) nonprofit that operated from 1999 to 2026. During that timeframe, CEF
worked to make our human presence on Earth sustainable. It conducted research, organized
retreats and conferences, and supported other organizations focused on sustainability. A
primary research focus of the organization was the role of Cultural Evolution in Business. Dr.
Collins earned a BS degree in Engineering Physics, and MS and PhD degrees in Operations
Research, all from Cornell University.
Michael is a science teacher at Payson High School, located in Payson, Arizona. He has always been fascinated by physics and astronomy and has been teaching in Payson since 2010. Over the years, Michael has taught various science courses, including AP Physics, Physics, Physical Science, and online science classes. From 2013 to 2016, he also taught engineering, and from 2013 to 2020, he mentored and coached the district's first-ever FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) robotics team. In recognition of his efforts, Michael was awarded the FIRST Robotics Arizona Regional Teacher of the Year award in 2017.
Michael has a C.P. in Photography, an A.A.S. in General Technology from Mohave Community College, and a B.S.Ed. in Physics from the College of Engineering, Forestry, and Natural Sciences at Northern Arizona University.
Michael-James Ellis
Staff Scientist
Educator
Reed Estrada
Staff Scientist
Former B-52 pilot, current Northrop Test Pilot working at Edwards Air Force Base, CA. Treasurer for the Institute for Student Astronomical Research. MBA in Airline Management, MS in Engineering, BS in microbiology, as well as several other Engineering and Aviation degrees. Worked with telescopes and amateur astronomy for 30 years including many projects with and Russ Genet and the Fairborn Institute.
Rachel Freed
Staff Scientist
Director of Education
Rachel Freed is a co-founder and the President of the Institute for Student Astronomical Research with a goal of incorporating scientific research into high school and undergraduate education. She is currently working on a Ph.D. in astronomy education. She is also a faculty lecturer in the School of Education at Sonoma State University, with a B.S. degree in Biology and an M.S. in Neuroscience. Rachel taught high school chemistry and astronomy for 10 years and has conducted research on chemistry education. She has been an amateur astronomer for over 20 years and is involved in public outreach. She has been a volunteer docent at the Robert Ferguson Observatory in Sonoma County for 13 years. She is also the editor of the Journal of Double Star Observations and on the board of the Advanced Imaging Conference. Rachel’s work focuses on promoting changes in education that build on students’ intrinsic motivations and interests.