Andrew Paul Odell

1949 - 2019

ODELL, Andrew Paul

May 6,1949 - May 10, 2019

Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Emeritus, Northern Arizona University. Andy passed away suddenly from a heart attack at the Golden Spike Celebration at Promontory, Utah, on May 10, 2019, the exact date of the 150th anniversary of the joining of the rails that created the first transcontinental railroad. A longtime railroad aficionado, he loved to rediscover the locations of long-defunct rail lines and then walk along the old railbeds, looking for artifacts. Andy gave frequent talks on his findings to local history and railroad audiences. Andy led a successful career as a physics and astronomy professor and researcher. He was actively involved in astronomical research using telescopes at Lowell Observatory, and was affiliated with Steward Observatory in Tucson. Born May 6, 1949, in Galesburg, Illinois, Andy was predeceased by his parents, and is survived by his brother, Arthur "Chip" Odell, of Galesburg, and his many friends and colleagues in Flagstaff, Tucson, and the international scientific community. He received his PhD from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and accepted a faculty position at Northern Arizona University in 1981 where he remained until his retirement in 2002. He was also a volunteer at Lowell Observatory where he loved sharing his telescope with the public on viewing nights on Mars Hill. Andy was a consummate teacher committed to imparting not only mastery of course material but teaching his students to think critically. He had a gift for clearly explaining physics and astronomy, enabling complex ideas to be easily understood. His professional research focused on variable stars, on which he authored numerous scientific papers. After his retirement, Andy continued his research, collecting data using telescopes on Mt. Lemmon and Kitt Peak, publishing papers long after he left NAU. He particularly enjoyed collaborating with other scientists and mentoring students working on advanced degrees at universities and secondary schools in the U.S. and throughout the world. Asteroid 25234 Odell was named in honor of Andy's many achievements in science, education, and outreach. A Celebration of Life will be held at Lowell Observatory at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 29, 2019.