# John-David Smith

> American astrophysicist

**Wikidata**: [Q59669543](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q59669543)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/john-david-smith

Here’s the structured biographical entry for John-David Smith:

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## Summary  
John-David Smith is an American astrophysicist, programmer, and university teacher known for maintaining IDLWAVE, an Emacs package for Interactive Data Language (IDL) development. He works at the University of Toledo and has contributed to astronomy research and open-source software tools.

## Biography  
- Nationality: United States  
- Education:  
  - Doctor of Philosophy, Cornell University (1995–2001)  
  - University of Arizona (dates unspecified)  
- Known for: Maintaining IDLWAVE (since 2002)  
- Employer(s): University of Toledo  
- Field(s): Astrophysics, software engineering, astronomy  

## Contributions  
John-David Smith is best known for his work on **IDLWAVE**, an Emacs package launched in 1999 that supports editing and running IDL (Interactive Data Language) code. As its maintainer since 2002, he has enabled astronomers and researchers to streamline data analysis workflows. His academic contributions include research in astrophysics, documented through publications indexed in **INSPIRE-HEP** and **ResearchGate** (IDs: John.David.T.Smith.1, 85118934, 11410806). He also engages in open-source development under the pseudonym **JDRiverRun**, with activity on platforms like **GNU Savannah** (username: jdsmith) and **GitHub** (jdtsmith).

## FAQs  
### Q: What is John-David Smith's role in IDLWAVE?  
A: He has been the maintainer of IDLWAVE since 2002, overseeing its development as an Emacs package for IDL programming, widely used in astronomy.  

### Q: Where does John-David Smith work?  
A: He is employed at the University of Toledo, where he contributes to astrophysics research and teaching.  

### Q: What is his pseudonym?  
A: He uses the pseudonym **JDRiverRun** online, notably on platforms like Reddit and GitHub.  

## Why They Matter  
John-David Smith’s maintenance of IDLWAVE has had a lasting impact on the astronomy and data analysis communities. The tool simplifies IDL programming within Emacs, a preferred environment for many researchers. His work bridges astrophysics and software engineering, ensuring efficient data processing for scientific discovery. Without his contributions, the adoption of IDL in research might have been less streamlined, particularly in astronomy.  

## Notable For  
- Long-term maintainer of **IDLWAVE** (since 2002).  
- Contributions to astrophysics research (indexed in INSPIRE-HEP and ResearchGate).  
- Active open-source developer under the pseudonym **JDRiverRun**.  

## Body  
### Career  
- Employed at the **University of Toledo** (reference: ORCID profile).  
- Maintains **IDLWAVE**, an Emacs package for IDL programming, since 2002.  

### Education  
- Earned a **PhD** from **Cornell University** (1995–2001).  
- Attended the **University of Arizona** (dates unspecified).  

### Open-Source Activity  
- Develops under the pseudonym **JDRiverRun** on Reddit and GitHub.  
- Contributes to **GNU Savannah** (username: jdsmith).  

### Research  
- Publications indexed in **INSPIRE-HEP** (ID: John.David.T.Smith.1).  
- ResearchGate contributions (IDs: 85118934, 11410806).  

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## References

1. [Source](https://mo-www.cfa.harvard.edu/OWN/astrophoto/experts.html)
2. [ORCID Public Data File 2023](https://pub.orcid.org/v3.0/0000-0003-1545-5078/employment/347229)
3. [Source](https://kristofferbalintona.me/posts/202202270056/)
4. [Source](https://www.reddit.com/r/emacs/comments/qefx8e/til_idl_is_a_thing_and_emacs_has_it/)