Bio

Prof. David G. Iadevaia

Prof. David G. Iadevaia is an American astronomer, educator, author, and researcher whose career bridges academic physics and community-centered science education. Born in Providence, Rhode Island, he earned undergraduate degrees in electronics and the philosophy of science, later completing a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in astronomy and a PhD focused on online science education. His early career in Rhode Island included working at the Raytheon Anti-Submarine facility, teaching middle school general science and high school physics, and serving as an adjunct astronomy faculty member at the University of Hartford. He entered the Tucson academic and scientific landscape in 1982 as an Instrument Specialist at the University of Arizona Multiple Mirror Telescope.

In 1983, Prof. Iadevaia joined the faculty at Pima Community College as head of the electronics department, eventually becoming professor of astronomy and physics at the East Campus. Over three decades, he significantly expanded the college’s scientific infrastructure, notably founding the East Campus Observatory in 1989. As director, he turned the facility into an academic hub and a cornerstone for public outreach. A distance-learning pioneer, he designed and launched the world’s first fully online astronomy course featuring real-time telescope observations in 1999. This breakthrough system was detailed in his landmark paper, "Real-Time Telescope Observations in an Online Course" (T.H.E. Journal).

His diverse bibliography spans academia, philosophy, and creative fiction. He authored the textbook "Astronomy 101: Interesting Stuff Everyone Should Know" along with its companion "Teacher Resource Kit". His personal and philosophical reflections are captured in "Recollections of a Lesser Astronomy Professor: My Journey into the Mystery of Faith" and "Questo e Quello: A Commentary on the Source of Knowledge and Wisdom". He has also penned the science fiction novel "Of Stranger Things" and the travelogue "Papa's Great American Eclipse Expedition: 21 August 2017". He has served as the lead astronomer for several international Solar Eclipse tours and continues to bring astronomy to local Tucson schools, libraries, and parks.

Following his 2013 retirement from Pima Community College, Prof. Iadevaia served as an adjunct professor for Walden University's master's program and contributed as a NASA Subject Matter Expert for statewide STEM initiatives. An avid amateur radio operator, licensed pilot, and experienced sailor, he remains highly active in stellar research, recently co-authoring several peer-reviewed papers:
•Structure and Dynamics of the Inner Corona Measured from the DEB Initiative 2024 Eclipse Image Sequence (2026)
•HD 5501: A Rapidly Evolving Interacting Eclipsing Binary with a Variable Light Curve and Há Emission (2025)
•A Dragon's Flame of Many Colours: Multi-wavelength Observations of Flares from the Active M Binary CR Draconis (2024)
•TU Tau B: The Peculiar 'Eclipse' of a possible proto-Barium Giant (2023)