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About

Ross Zhelem is a leading astronomical instrumentation scientist whose work has been pivotal in advancing multi-object spectrographs for major observatories. His primary research areas center on the design, integration, and deployment of high-resolution fiber-fed spectrographs, with a focus on Galactic Archaeology and large-scale galaxy surveys. Zhelem’s most significant contribution is his work on the HERMES spectrograph at the Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT), a facility-class instrument that powers the GALAH survey—the first major effort to unravel the Milky Way’s formation and evolution through stellar chemistry. His first-light paper on HERMES has garnered 93 citations, underscoring its foundational impact. He has also been instrumental in developing Hector, a multi-object integral field spectrograph that expands on the success of SAMI, enabling a 15,000-galaxy survey of nearby galaxies. Additionally, Zhelem has driven the MANIFEST and TAIPAN projects, which employ innovative ‘Starbug’ robotic fiber positioners for the Giant Magellan Telescope, promising unprecedented multiplexing and field-of-view capabilities. Through these achievements, Zhelem has established himself as a key figure in building the next generation of wide-field spectroscopic instruments, directly enabling transformative surveys in stellar and galactic astrophysics.