Nathalie Ouellette, our new Deputy Director

Nathalie Ouellette. (Credit: A. Philibert/UdeM)

On August 22, 2022, Nathalie Ouellette became the Deputy Director of the Observatoire du Mont-Mégantic (OMM) and of the Institute for Research on Exoplanets (iREx).

This position was created in the summer of 2022 given the close links between the activities of our two organizations, notably for instrument development and for scientific communication through our partnership with the ASTROLab du Mont-Mégantic. Nathalie Ouellette is the first person to hold this position.

A Doctor of Astrophysics from Queen’s University, Ms. Ouellette previously held the position of iREx Coordinator, where her leadership and exceptional talents for scientific communication and project management were quickly noticed. In recent years, she has led the ExoBites project, short videos featuring iREx astronomers, and has given hundreds of media interviews and conferences to the general public and kids of all ages. She presented the Canadian image during the release of the first images from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) last July. Notably, Ms. Ouellette is retaining her role as the JWST Canadian Outreach Scientist.

René Doyon, Director of the OMM and iREx, sums up the enthusiasm of iREx members and OMM employees at the arrival of Ms. Ouellette in this management position: “Nathalie has all the qualities to be an exceptional manager for our organizations. I am convinced that her experience and leadership will take OMM and iREx ever higher, towards the stars!”

Congratulations, Nathalie, and good luck in this new position!