The Board

President: Anthony Krishock

My name is Anthony Krishock. I have been an active member of the Syracuse Astronomical Society since 2015, and I’ve been on the board since 2018. I am now serving as President of the organization having been elected by the board this past January. I have been an avid amateur astronomer ever since my dad took me to a viewing of Halley’s Comet in 1986. That same year, we built our first telescope, a 10” f/5.6 Dobsonian and spent many a summer night peering into the dark Oklahoma skies. I have also been active in many other organizations including the Oklahoma City Astronomical Society and the Astronomy Enthusiasts of Lancaster County Pennsylvania.

Secretary: Jeff Higgins

Jeff Higgins is a newbie to astronomy and an active member of SAS. He is newly retired, and is anxious to learn everything about the night sky. After seeing Saturn’s rings as a boy, he finally has the time to develop his astronomy hobby. He also enjoys skating, ballroom dancing, and forest management of his off-grid, dark sky land in Happy Valley. Jeff has had a varied background, including computer and network technology, architecture, geology, an earth science degree, and middle-school teaching. For 12 years Jeff taught technical seminars for IBM. For the past 15 years, he has been a small business owner, providing network services to other small businesses. All of these experiences have culminated in his zest for learning and promoting astronomy to others.

Observatory Director: Raymond Dague

Raymond is from the planet Mars, and has come to earth to be the observatory director of the Syracuse Astronomical Society.

Treasurer: Mike Fratto

I am new to astronomy having gotten into the hobby in 2017 when I bought my first 12″ Newtonian telescope. I have seen things you people wouldn’t believe … No, kidding. I chase star clusters in my backyard and when down at DHO try for dimmer objects. I can sometimes be found outside at 3am standing at the eye piece. I read a lot, understand some, and wish for more astronomy kit.

Mike Brady

Michael J. Brady is a retired Assistant Chief Investigator in the New York Attorney General’s Office’s Criminal Division. From his first view of Saturn at age eleven, he has continued his lifelong interest in astronomy. Brady enjoys sharing his passion with the public by maintaining memberships in astronomy organizations in New York and Florida, where he often makes his telescopes available to the viewing public. Brady currently serves as a board member of the Syracuse Astronomical Society as that organization celebrates its 30th year.

Bob Ostrander

My name is Robert Ostrander. I have a PhD in analytical chemistry and I have been teaching chemistry, physics, astronomy, and general science since 1978. I have been interested in amature astronomy since the age of seven when a spectacular red, blue, and green aurora borealis kept me awake all night. Since then, every ad for a telescope caught my attention and I started learning the names of the constellations. I now own three telescopes and since March 2020 I have been working to develop skills in astrophotography.

Bob Stell

I was introduced to astronomy as a teenager as my dad had a strong interest in astronomy. He built a 6 inch refractor telescope and I was fascinated with what we could see with it. That was in the late 50s and early 60s. After a stint in the Army I got married and life took over and I lost interest in the hobby. About 5 years ago I decided to take up the hobby again and was blown away with how inexpensive equipment had become and what technology had done to the hobby. I joined the Syracuse Astronomical Society to learn how to use the equipment and share with others who have much more experience than I.

John Rush

John Rush is relatively new to the hobby of Astronomy. He has always had an interest in space, and a passion for the night time sky, ever since he first looked at the rings of Saturn, through his telescope, in the backyard at his parents house. Eventually he was  able to visit a sky dark enough to see the Milky Way and the rest is history. During the day he works as Technical Manager at a laboratory in Liverpool, NY. However at night if it’s clear you can very often find him at DHO pointing his telescope to the sky.

Doug Fenster

Doug is an avid photographer (mostly travel) and more recently added astro-photography to his interests and advocacy. Doug’s interest in photography goes back to his early years (around the age of 7) and taking photos and then watching how to develop the film and print the pictures in his family home basement darkroom. In engineering school, Doug was a founder of the Image Processing lab and began research into medical imaging (CAT) and then in graduate school research followed into animation. Following years of radar and sonar work Doug returned to imaging in the professional photography and engineering spaces helping to migrate professional photo labs to a digital world. Now with advances in photographic equipment, he started taking pictures of the night sky.  Seeing Orion’s belt the first time was what hooked him and set his sights on astrophotography. Later, taking his first picture of Jupiter and the Galilean moons and it was done! The wonder and interest of a 4 year old rushed in and persists to this day. Doug is honored to be part of the SAS Board and looks forward to being able to contribute in various supportive forms.