JAO Management

  • Sean Dougherty

    Sean Dougherty

    Director

    Dr. Sean Dougherty was appointed ALMA Director effective February 21st, 2018, following 10 years as the Director of the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory, Canada’s national radio astronomy facility, run by NRC Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics. He was a member of the ALMA Board representing North America for four years, and chair of the ALMA Budget Committee for two years. Dougherty received his bachelor’s degree in mathematics and physics from the University of Nottingham, England, in 1983 and his Ph.D. in astrophysics from the University of Calgary, Canada, in 1993. (more…)

  • Norikazu Mizuno

    Norikazu Mizuno

    Deputy Director of Operations

    Norikazu received his PhD in Astrophysics, from School of Science, Nagoya University in 2001. He studied the properties of (more…)

  • Álvaro González

    Álvaro González

    Deputy Director of Development

    Alvaro received his PhD in Physics from University of Tokyo in 2014, MSc in Electrical Engineering from Caltech in 2009, MSc in Space Studies from (more…)

  • John Carpenter

    John Carpenter

    Observatory Scientist


    Personal Website

    Dr. John Carpenter joined the ALMA Project in September 2015 as the ALMA Observatory Scientist. John received his PhD from (more…)

  • Catalina Margulis

    Catalina Margulis

    Corporate Secretary

    Catalina Margulis joined the ALMA Project on March 1, 2023, assuming the position of Corporate Secretary of the Joint ALMA Observatory. Catalina is a lawyer from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, where (more…)

  • Iván López

    Iván López

    Health, Safety, Security & Environment manager

    Ivan A. López our Health, Safety, Security & Environment Manager, joined ALMA on April 2010. (more…)

  • Cristián Puentes

    Cristián Puentes

    Head of Administration

    Cristián Puentes joined ALMA on March 1, 2022 as JAO Head of Administration for the Joint ALMA Observatory.

    (more…)

  • Valeria Foncea

    Valeria Foncea

    Education and Public Outreach (EPO) Manager

    Valeria is an experienced journalist from the Catholic University of Chile, who has an extensive career (more…)

  • Jorge Ibsen

    Jorge Ibsen

    Head of Computing and Acting Head of Engineering

    Jorge Ibsen joined the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in 1997, and spent many years (more…)

  • Rafael Mena

    Rafael Mena

    Human Resources Manager

    Rafael joined ALMA at the start of 2015 as Human Resources Manager. Psychologist by profession, he wrote his thesis on organizational (more…)

  • Sergio Martín

    Sergio Martín

    Head of Science Operations

    Graduated in Physical Sciences in 2001 in Madrid and PhD in 2006 from the Complutense University of Madrid and (more…)

About the JAO Core Management Team

The JAO Core Management Team (CMT) is the group composed by the higher level Managers and Heads of Departments, led by the ALMA Director, and serves as a forum to coordinate the operations and activities in Chile and to develop the strategic plans for the JAO.

ALMA Legal Representatives in Chile

  • European Legal Representative in Chile
    Luis Chavarría
  • East Asian Legal Representative in Chile
    Teruyuki Watanabe
  • North American Legal Representative in Chile
    Paulina Bocaz

ALMA Support Centers

The ALMA activities of each Executive are managed by their ALMA Operations Managers, who head the ALMA Support Centers, located in Garching (Germany) for ESO, in Charlottesville (USA) for NRAO, and in Mitaka (Japan) for NAOJ.

European ALMA Support Center

  • European Operations Manager
    Elizabeth Humphreys
  • European Development Manager
    Martin Zwaan
  • European Integrated Engineering Team Manager
    Silvio Rossi
  • European Integrated Computing Team Manager 
    Erich Schmid
  • European Program Scientist
    María Díaz Trigo
  • European ALMA Regional Center Manager 
    Enrique Macías

East Asia ALMA Support Center

  • East Asian Operations Manager
    Misato Fukagawa
  • East Asian Development Manager
    Shun Ishii
  • East Asian Integrated Engineering Team Manager
    Seiichi Sakamoto
  • East Asian Integrated Computing Team Manager
    Kanako Sugimoto
  • East Asian Program Scientist
    Bunyo Hatsukade
  • East Asian ALMA Regional Center Manager 
    Takuma Izumi

North American ALMA Support Center

  • ALMA NA Operations Manager
    Phil Jewell
  • North American Integrated Engineering Team Manager
    Kamaljeet Saini
  • North American Integrated Computing Team Manager
    Laura Jensen
  • North American Program Scientist
    Crystal Brogan
  • North American ALMA Regional Center Manager
    Catherine Vlahakis

ALMA Management Team

  • Álvaro González, ALMA Deputy Director of Development
  • Norikazu Mizuno, ALMA Deputy Director of Operations
  • Elizabeth Humphreys, EU ALMA Programme Manager
  • Phil Jewell, NA ALMA Program Manager
  • Misato Fukagawa, EA ALMA Program Manager

Operational Integrated Teams

  • Integrated Engineering Team
    • Massimiliano Marchesi / Cristóbal Jara (JAO IET - Lead - Acting)
    • Silvio Rossi (EU IET)
    • Kamaljeet Saini (NA IET)
    • Seiichi Sakamoto (EA IET)
  • Integrated Science Operations Team
    • Sergio Martín (JAO ISOpT)
    • Enrique Macías (EU ISOpT)
    • Catherine Vlahakis (NA ISOpT)
    • Takuma Izumi (EA ISOpT)
  • Integrated Computing Team
    • Jorge Ibsen (JAO ICT - Lead)
    • Erich Schmid (EU ICT)
    • Laura Jensen (NA ICT)
    • Kanako Sugimoto (EA ICT)
  • Integrated Science Team
    • John Carpenter (JAO IST - Lead)
    • María Díaz Trigo (EU IST)
    • Crystal Brogan (NA IST)
    • Bunyo Hatsukade (EA IST)
  • Integrated Development Team
    • Juande Santander (JAO IDT - Lead)
    • Gie Han Tan (EU IDT)
    • Todd Hunter (NA IDT)
    • Shun Ishii (EA IDT)