Brazilian astronomer Sylvio Ferraz-Mello, 78, who is a professor emeritus and served as director of the Institute of Astronomy, Geophysics and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of São Paulo (IAG-USP) from 1981 to 1985, is the recipient of the 2015 Brouwer Award given by the Division on Dynamical Astronomy of the American Astronomical Society to researchers who have made major contributions to the field. To mark the occasion, on June 16, 2015, the Office of the Dean of Research at USP and the IAG hosted a celebration and a lecture given by the astronomer, titled “Chaos in planetary systems.” “This is the most important award of my career,” says Mello, whose research focuses on solar system dynamics and extrasolar planetary systems. He received his bachelor’s degree in Physics from USP and his PhD in Mathematical Sciences from the Académie de Paris. He held temporary professorships at the University of Paris, the National University of La Plata (Argentina), the University of Porto (Portugal) and the University of Vienna (Austria). The International Astronomical Union gave the name Ferraz-Mello to Asteroid 1983 XF (5201), which was discovered in 1983. From 1999 to 2001, the researcher was director of the National Observatory, the research institution that operates under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.
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