---

Derek Westen

Chair of Friends of KITP

    

I consider myself privileged indeed to be able to serve as Chair of the Friends of Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics.

     Like you, I am interested in a wide array of topics, am fascinated by science and the interconnections between the sciences and the arts, and am stimulated by the opportunity to meet with scientists working at the very frontier of knowledge. The Friends has provided me unique and unforgettable experiences I never thought I could find.

     Members of the Friends have been able to meet Stephen Hawking and attend his presentations on his work; meet and hear Brian Greene, author of The Elegant Universe; attend lectures for lay people by Lars Bildsten on cosmology, by John Grunsfeld, U.S. astronaut, on the Hubble Space Telescope repairs, by Bill Bialek on the human brain; and attend lectures and events pertaining to the intersection of art and science. Members of the higher circles recently enjoyed a VIP private tour of the Jet Propulsion Lab led by Dan McCleese, Chief Scientist for NASA's Mars Exploration Program.

    We have ensured that membership is affordable. Yet all of these extraordinary opportunities are provided free to members of the Friends of KITP.

     I am sure that you will find membership in the Friends to be as enjoyable and stimulating as it has been for me. We welcome you and hope to see you soon at an event of the Friends of KITP.

Sincerely,