Pieter Timotheus "Tim" de Zeeuw (born 1956, Sleen

Sleen

Sleen is a village in Drenthe, Netherlands of about 2500 people. Sleen has been inhabited for centuries. Much ancient history can be found in the area, particularly in the forests . At birth and during the Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden...

) is a Dutch astronomer

Astronomer

An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...

 specializing in the formation, structure and dynamics of galaxies. He was educated at
Leiden

Leiden University

Leiden University , located in the city of Leiden, is the oldest university in the Netherlands. The university was founded in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange, leader of the Dutch Revolt in the Eighty Years' War. The royal Dutch House of Orange-Nassau and Leiden University still have a close...

, gaining a degree in mathematics in 1976 and one in astronomy in 1977. He graduated from Leiden with a PhD in astronomy in 1984. After stints in the USA at the Institute for Advanced Study

Institute for Advanced Study

The Institute for Advanced Study, located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States, is an independent postgraduate center for theoretical research and intellectual inquiry. It was founded in 1930 by Abraham Flexner...

 in Princeton

Princeton University

Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....

 and at Caltech, he returned to the Netherlands in 1990 to become Professor of Theoretical Astronomy at Leiden.
In 2003, he was appointed the scientific director of Leiden Observatory

Leiden Observatory

Leiden Observatory is an astronomical observatory in the city of Leiden, Netherlands. It was established by Leiden University in 1633, to house the quadrant of Snellius, and is the oldest operating University observatory in the world Leiden Observatory (Sterrewacht Leiden in Dutch) is an...

, and since September 2007, he has been the Director General of ESO

ESO

ESO, as a three-letter abbreviation, may stand for:* European Southern Observatory* Ensemble Studios Online* English Symphony Orchestra* Edmonton Symphony Orchestra* Executive Stock Options...

. In 2010, he was awarded the Brouwer Award by the Division on Dynamical Astronomy of the American Astronomical Society

American Astronomical Society

The American Astronomical Society is an American society of professional astronomers and other interested individuals, headquartered in Washington, DC...

. He is married to astronomer Ewine van Dishoeck

Ewine van Dishoeck

Ewine van Dishoeck is a Dutch astronomer and chemist. She is Professor of Molecular Astrophysics at Leiden Observatory.She is a member of the Royal Dutch Academy of Sciences and the U.S. National Academy of Sciences...

.