doctoral_advisor death_date death_place work_institution birth_place image_size nationality field birth_date image article_title name alma_mater
frank drake 25 july 2010 california , usa uc berkeley new jersey , usa 180px american radio astronomy , 9 november 1943 donald_backer _ -lrb- 1968 -rrb- . jpg donald c. backer
 donald c. backer cornell university
donald c. backer

donald c. backer -lrb- november 9 , 1943 -- july 25 , 2010 -rrb- was an american astrophysicist who primarily worked in radio astronomy .
backer made important contributions to the understanding and study of pulsars , including the discovery of the first millisecond pulsar , black holes , and the epoch of reionization .
