Doris Daou

Last updated
Doris Daou
Born1964 (1964)
Lebanon
Alma mater Université de Montréal
Known forNASA communications
Scientific career
Fields Astronomy
Institutions National Aeronautics and Space Administration Ames Research Center

Doris Daou (born 1964) [1] is a Lebanese-born Canadian-American astronomer who was formerly the Director for Education and Public Outreach of the NASA Lunar Science Institute [2] and the associate director of the NASA Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI), [3] and is currently the program contact for NASA's "Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration (SIMPLEx)". [4] [5]

Contents

Early life and education

Daou's family fled war-ravaged Lebanon when she was a child, and settled in Canada. [6] Daou was educated at the Université de Montréal in Quebec, where she studied the atmospheric parameters of variable stars. [1] She holds a B.Sc. in Physics and Mathematics, as well as a M.Sc. in Astronomy and Astrophysics. Her PhD dissertation in 1989 was titled, Études spectroscopiques et paramètres atmosphériques des étoiles ZZ Ceti. [7]

Career

She then moved to Baltimore, Maryland, in the United States, where she spent nine years working on the Hubble Space Telescope. In 1999, Daou transferred to the team preparing to launch the Spitzer Space Telescope, [8] where she worked in education and public outreach [9] and helped found the Spitzer Space Telescope Research Program for Teachers and Students. [10] She joined the NASA Headquarters in 2006, and has served the institution in a variety of roles, including Education and Public Outreach Program Officer. She became the Director of Education and Public Outreach at the NASA Lunar Science Institute - Ames Research Center, in 2008 [11] and the NASA Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI) Associate Director in 2010. She has been actively involved in NASA's grant programs. [12] [4] As of 2018, she continues her work as an astronomer at the NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C., [13] and serves as Senior Scientist, as Program Officer and Chief of Staff for the Director of the Planetary Science Division in the Science Mission Directorate (2014–Present). [14] [15]

She has worked as an outreach and education specialist at Ames Research Center [16] and for NASA's grant programs. From 2012 to 2018, Daou served as an associate of commissions for the International Astronomical Union, [17] and has been involved in the following commissions:

She is the creator and producer of the Ask an Astronomer video podcast. [18] Her research interests include: observational astronomy, astrophysics, and astronomy, [15] as well as solar systems, exoplanets, and international partnerships, [14] and she actively publishes in science journals. [19] [20] [21] In 2008, she co-authored Touch the Invisible Sky, which is a book written in Braille, [22] and in 2017 she co-authored proceedings of the Planetary Science Vision 2050 Workshop as part of the Lunar and Planetary Institute. [23]

Selected publications

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Space telescope</span> Instrument in space to study astronomical objects

A space telescope is a telescope in outer space used to observe astronomical objects. Suggested by Lyman Spitzer in 1946, the first operational telescopes were the American Orbiting Astronomical Observatory, OAO-2 launched in 1968, and the Soviet Orion 1 ultraviolet telescope aboard space station Salyut 1 in 1971. Space telescopes avoid several problems caused by the atmosphere, including the absorption or scattering of certain wavelengths of light, obstruction by clouds, and distortions due to atmospheric refraction such as twinkling. Space telescopes can also observe dim objects during the daytime, and they avoid light pollution which ground-based observatories encounter. They are divided into two types: Satellites which map the entire sky, and satellites which focus on selected astronomical objects or parts of the sky and beyond. Space telescopes are distinct from Earth imaging satellites, which point toward Earth for satellite imaging, applied for weather analysis, espionage, and other types of information gathering.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SETI Institute</span> Not-for-profit research organization

The SETI Institute is a not-for-profit research organization incorporated in 1984 whose mission is to explore, understand, and explain the origin and nature of life in the universe, and to use this knowledge to inspire and guide present and future generations, sharing knowledge with the public, the press, and the government. SETI stands for the "search for extraterrestrial intelligence".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David C. Jewitt</span> British-American astronomer (born 1958)

David Clifford Jewitt is a British-American astronomer who studies the Solar System, especially its minor bodies. He is based at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he is a Member of the Institute for Geophysics and Planetary Physics, the Director of the Institute for Planets and Exoplanets, Professor of Astronomy in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and Professor of Astronomy in the Department of Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences. He is best known for being the first person to discover a body beyond Pluto and Charon in the Kuiper belt.

The Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) is a scientific research institute dedicated to study of the solar system, its formation, evolution, and current state. The Institute is part of the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) and is supported by the Science Mission Directorate of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Located at 3600 Bay Area Boulevard in Houston, Texas, the LPI is an intellectual leader in lunar and planetary science. The Institute serves as a scientific forum attracting world-class visiting scientists, postdoctoral fellows, students, and resident experts; supports and serves the research community through newsletters, meetings, and other activities; collects and disseminates planetary data while facilitating the community's access to NASA astromaterials samples and facilities; engages and excites the public about space science; and invests in the development of future generations of scientists. The LPI sponsors and organizes several workshops and conferences throughout the year, including the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC) held in March in the Houston area.

Solar physics is the branch of astrophysics that specializes in the study of the Sun. It intersects with many disciplines of pure physics and astrophysics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maria Zuber</span> American astronomer (born 1958)

Maria T. Zuber is an American geophysicist who is the vice president for research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she also holds the position of the E. A. Griswold Professor of Geophysics in the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences. Zuber has been involved in more than half a dozen NASA planetary missions aimed at mapping the Moon, Mars, Mercury, and several asteroids. She was the principal investigator for the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) Mission, which was managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Universities Space Research Association</span> Independent, nonprofit research corporation to advance space science and technology

The Universities Space Research Association (USRA) was incorporated on March 12, 1969, in Washington, D.C. as a private, nonprofit corporation under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). Institutional membership in the association currently stands at 113 universities. All member institutions have graduate programs in space sciences or technology. Besides the 98 member institutions in the United States, there are two member institutions in Canada, four in Europe, two in Israel, one in Australia and one in New Zealand, one in Hong Kong, two in Korea and two in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heidi Hammel</span> Planetary astronomer

Heidi B. Hammel is a planetary astronomer who has extensively studied Neptune and Uranus. She was part of the team imaging Neptune from Voyager 2 in 1989. She led the team using the Hubble Space Telescope to view Shoemaker-Levy 9's impact with Jupiter in 1994. She has used the Hubble Space Telescope and the Keck Telescope to study Uranus and Neptune, discovering new information about dark spots, planetary storms and Uranus' rings. In 2002, she was selected as an interdisciplinary scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michelle Thaller</span> American astronomer and scientist

Michelle Lynn Thaller is an American astronomer and research scientist. Thaller is the assistant director for Science Communication at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amy Mainzer</span> American astronomer

Amy Mainzer is an American astronomer, specializing in astrophysical instrumentation and infrared astronomy. She was the deputy project scientist for the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer and is the principal investigator for its NEOWISE extension to study minor planets and for the future Near Earth Object Surveyor space telescope mission.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pamela L. Gay</span> American astronomer (born 1973)

Pamela L. Gay is an American astronomer, educator, podcaster, and writer, best known for her work in astronomical podcasting and citizen science astronomy projects. She is a senior education and communication specialist and senior scientist for the Planetary Science Institute. Her research interests include analysis of astronomy data, as well as examination of the impact of citizen science initiatives. Gay has also appeared as herself in various television documentary series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reta Beebe</span> American astronomer and author

Reta F. Beebe is an American astronomer, author, and popularizer of astronomy. She is an expert on the planets Jupiter and Saturn, and the author of Jupiter: The Giant Planet. She is a professor emeritus in the Astronomy Department at New Mexico State University and 2010 winner of the NASA Exceptional Public Service medal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Morrison (astrophysicist)</span> American astronomer

David Morrison is an American astronomer, a senior scientist at the Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute, at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California. Morrison is the former director of the Carl Sagan Center for Study of Life in the Universe at the SETI Institute and of the NASA Lunar Science Institute. He is the past Director of Space at NASA Ames. Morrison is credited as a founder of the multi-disciplinary field of astrobiology. Morrison is best known for his work in risk assessment of near Earth objects such as asteroids and comets. Asteroid 2410 Morrison was named in his honor. Morrison is also known for his "Ask an Astrobiologist" series on NASA's website where he provides answers to questions submitted by the public. He has published 12 books and over 150 papers primarily on planetary science, astrobiology and near Earth objects.

International Observe the Moon Night is an annual public outreach event sponsored by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission, the Solar System Exploration Division at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, and other NASA and astronomical organizations that encourages observation, appreciation, and understanding of the Moon and its connection to planetary science and exploration. Everyone on Earth is invited to join the celebration by hosting or attending an event or participating as a lunar observer — and uniting on one day each year to look at and learn about the Moon together. First organized in 2010, there are usually over 500 events annually in over 40 countries, hosted by universities, observatories, NASA Centers, schools, museums, parks, libraries, and amateur astronomers. Some events are offered both in person and via internet streaming video. The date is selected to enhance visibility of lunar topography.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emily Lakdawalla</span> Planetary geologist and writer

Emily Stewart Lakdawalla is an American planetary geologist and former Senior Editor of The Planetary Society, contributing as both a science writer and a blogger. She has also worked as a teacher and as an environmental consultant. She has performed research work in geology, Mars topography, and science communication and education. Lakdawalla is a science advocate on various social media platforms, interacting with space professionals and enthusiasts on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter. She has appeared on such media outlets as NPR, BBC and BBC America.

Anita L. Cochran is an American astronomer, planetary scientist, and senior research scientist at the University of Texas at Austin. She is also the assistant director for research support at the McDonald Observatory. She focuses on the study of primitive bodies in the solar system and the composition of comets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Throop</span> American astronomer and planetary scientist

Henry B. Throop, is an American astronomer and planetary scientist who specializes in the dynamics of rings and dust in the outer solar system. Throop is a member of the science team for NASA's New Horizons mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt, and has been involved with NASA missions throughout the solar system. Throop lives in Washington, DC where he runs NASA's science programs in the outer solar system. He has done extensive education and outreach around the world, having spent nearly a decade as an astronomer living in South Africa, India, and Mexico. The asteroid 193736 Henrythroop is named after him.

Yvonne Jean Pendleton is an American astrophysicist and is currently the Chief Scientist of NASA’s Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI) at Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California. Pendleton earned degrees from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Stanford University, and the University of California at Santa Cruz and was hired by NASA as a civil servant in 1979. She served as a research scientist in the Space Science and Astrobiology Division at NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) until 2007, including as Division Chief from 2006-7. In 2007 she was promoted to the Senior Executive Service, the highest level of civil service within the Federal government, and throughout her career has served in high-level leadership positions at both NASA's ARC and Headquarters. Her scientific research has investigated the origin and evolution of organic material in our galaxy and is currently focused on the composition of the solar nebula from which our Solar System formed. She is an elected fellow of the California Academy of Sciences and Asteroid 7165. Pendleton was named by the International Astronomical Union in honor of her research contributions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anne L. Kinney</span> American scientist

Anne L. Kinney is an American space scientist and educator. Kinney is currently the Deputy Center Director at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Previously, she held positions as the head of the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS) for the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Chief Scientist of the W.M. Keck Observatory, Director of the Solar System Exploration Division at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Director of the Origins Program at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and Director of the Universe Division at NASA Headquarters. She earned a bachelor's degree in astronomy and physics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a doctorate in astrophysics from New York University, and has published more than 80 papers on extragalactic astronomy. She was an instrument scientist for the Faint Object Spectrograph that flew on the Hubble Space Telescope.

Touch the Invisible Sky is a 60-page tactile astronomy book written by astronomy educator Noreen Grice, and astronomers Simon Steel and Doris Daou, and was published in 2007 by Ozone publishing. The book contains colour images alongside Braille and large print descriptions of celestial objects, and colour photographs from the Hubble Space Telescope, Chandra X-Ray Observatory, and Spitzer Space Telescope, amongst others, which are over-laid with TechnoBraille, allowing visually impaired readers to feel the images. The images featured include nebulae, stars, galaxies and some of the telescopes used to photograph the celestial objects. The images span a range of wavelengths on the electromagnetic spectrum, with a variety of textures and shapes used to convey the characteristics of the objects. The objects featured include our own Sun, the star Eta Carinae, The Crab Nebula, and Kepler's Supernova.

References

  1. 1 2 "SIRTF Profiles: Doris Daou". Spitzer Space Telescope. NASA. Archived from the original on 11 July 2010. Retrieved 11 January 2017. I was only five years old... They are walking on the moon, she said."
    "My journey started at the University of Montreal, where I completed my degree. I worked on determining the atmospheric parameters of a group of pulsating stars.
  2. ↑ Atkinson, Nancy (2010-07-20). "Lunar Forums and Anniversaries". Universe Today. Retrieved 2020-02-09.
  3. ↑ Unknown (2014-09-16). "Women In Astronomy: Career Profiles: Astronomer to Associate Director of the NASA Lunar Science Institute". Women In Astronomy. Retrieved 2020-02-09.
  4. 1 2 "NASA ROSES-16 Amendment 35: C.21 SIMPLEx deferred to ROSES-2017". www.spaceref.com. October 4, 2016. Retrieved January 9, 2017.[ permanent dead link ]
  5. ↑ Kovo, Yael (2018-04-26). "Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration released as amendment 2 to SALMON-3". NASA. Retrieved 2018-09-22.
  6. ↑ "One of NASA's Leading Experts in Education is Lebanese-Canadian". www.the961.com. 18 November 2019. Retrieved 2020-02-09.
  7. ↑ Daou, Doris (1989). Études spectroscopiques et paramètres atmosphériques des étoiles ZZ Ceti (Thesis) (in French). Montréal: Service des archives, Université de Montréal, Section Microfilm. OCLC   1019338836.
  8. ↑ "Profiles: Doris Daou". legacy.spitzer.caltech.edu. August 2001. Archived from the original on July 11, 2010. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
  9. ↑ Trouille, Laura (September 11, 2014). "Women in Astronomy, Career profiles: Astronomer to Associate Director of the NASN Lunar Science Institute" (PDF). Northwestern.edu. Retrieved January 9, 2017.[ permanent dead link ]
  10. ↑ "Doris Daou | NITARP - NASA/IPAC Teacher Archive Research Program". NITARP. Retrieved 2020-02-09.
  11. ↑ "NASA educative video uplink for aspiring Emirati astronauts". Tribune Business News. ProQuest   866088770.
  12. ↑ "SERVI - Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute". nasa.gov. July 19, 2009. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
  13. ↑ "NASA - NASA Unveils Cosmic Images Book in Braille for Blind Readers". www.nasa.gov. January 15, 2008. Retrieved 2017-01-09.
  14. 1 2 "Candidate Statement: Doris Daou | American Astronomical Society". aas.org. Retrieved 2018-09-22.
  15. 1 2 "Doris Daou". ResearchGate. Retrieved 2018-09-22.
  16. ↑ "NASA educative video uplink for aspiring Emirati astronauts". Khaleej Times. 11 May 2011. Retrieved 5 November 2023– via TheFreeLibrary.
  17. 1 2 "International Astronomical Union | IAU". www.iau.org. Archived from the original on 2018-09-23. Retrieved 2018-09-22.
  18. ↑ "NASA - Cool Cosmos Videos". www.nasa.gov. April 10, 2009. Archived from the original on January 10, 2017. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
  19. ↑ Daou, Doris (2015). "NASA's Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute – Expanded Goals and More Partners" (PDF). European Planetary Science Congress. Retrieved January 11, 2017.
  20. ↑ Bailey, B.; Schmidt, G.; Daou, D.; Pendleton, Y. (2014). "A New Direction for NASA's Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute: Combining Science and Exploration" (PDF). European Planetary Society Congress. Retrieved January 11, 2017.
  21. ↑ Daou, D. (2012). "The NASA Lunar Science Institute, International Efforts" (PDF). European Planetary Science Congress. Retrieved January 11, 2017.
  22. ↑ Flatow, Ira (18 January 2008). "'Invisible Sky' Presents NASA Images in Braille". NPR. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  23. ↑ Green, James L; Daou, Doris; Mackwell, Stephen J, eds. (2017). Planetary Science Vision 2050 Workshop: February 27-28 and March 1, 2017, Washington, DC. OCLC   1088413493.{{cite conference}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.