Neal G. Sumerlin, Ph.D.
Director, Lynchburg College Observatory
Born in Texas and growing up there and in neighboring Arkansas, Neal Sumerlin is the son of a college professor of journalism and a college librarian. He can trace his keen interest in astronomy to the specific night of August 12, 1954, when his maternal great-grandmother allowed him to stay up late to view the Perseid meteor shower. Although he was only four years old at the time, Neal was hooked, and while he chose to earn a B.S. in chemistry at Ouachita Baptist University and a Ph.D. in nuclear chemistry at The University of Arkansas, astronomy has always been a central intellectual pursuit and hobby in his life. Since earning his doctorate, Neal has taught in the Department of Chemistry at Lynchburg College. Currently he teaches solar system and stellar astronomy, both laboratory based courses he developed while on sabbatical during the 2003-2004 academic year. His astronomical research interests involve the study of stellar nucleosynthesis and gamma-ray bursts. The astronomical observatory project is Neal's brainchild, and its construction is his way of "paying it forward" to perhaps inspire others the same way his great-grandmother inspired him. In his off time, Neal enjoys reading (mostly history, science, classic novels and current affairs), listening to music, messing around with computers, and any activity involving his wife Jane and their two children.
Dr. Sumerlin's web page
Dr. Sumerlin's Astronomy Journal