The following is a guide for those who wish to report on various aspects of Dr. Beth Brown's professional activities.

There is a biographical sketch, followed by a very brief list of recent publications, and a short list of webpages where other information can be found (including a longer list of publications, talks, and presentations). At the end of the page are answers to a few frequently asked questions.

Biographical Sketch

Dr. Beth Brown, NASA astrophysicist, attended Howard University for her undergraduate education (1987-1991). At Howard University, she studied physics and astronomy, while participating in the "Showtime" marching band. Dr. Brown received her Bachelor of Science degree in Astrophysics, graduating Summa Cum Laude.

From Howard University, Dr. Brown went on to receive a Master of Science degree and Ph.D. in Astronomy, both from the University of Michigan (1992-1998). The title of her doctoral thesis is "X-Ray Emission in Early-Type Galaxies Surveyed by ROSAT " (J. N. Bregman, advisor). Dr. Brown is the first African-American woman to obtain a doctorate from the University of Michigan's Department of Astronomy.

Dr. Brown started her NASA career in 1998 at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center as a Research Associate for the National Research Council (NRC). Following that appointment, she joined the NASA Goddard National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC) as a civil servant. In 2005, she moved over to the X-ray Astrophysics Laboratory, providing science support for the GSFC XMM Guest Observer Facility and continued science support and data acquisition for the NSSDC. Dr. Brown has conducted research on galaxies using data from various x-ray observatories, including NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory.

Dr. Brown has a reputation for outstanding work in public outreach support, traveling around the country spreading her excitement about the work within the astrophysics world. During her time at the University of Michigan, she co-developed an undergraduate course in astronomy, and supported a web version of an astronomy outreach project called "Image of the Month." As an NRC research associate and with the NSSDC, Dr. Brown developed, implemented, and managed the Multiwavelength Milky Way outreach project website. Also, Dr. Brown has participated in several live satellite news interviews through NASA Goddard TV on various astronomical events, such as solar eclipses.

Most recently, Dr. Brown was honored as one of eleven awardees for the NASA Administrator's Fellowship Program (NAFP), a program designed to ensure the strength of our nation's scientific and technical workforce. As a NAFP Fellow, she started new research focused on physical processes around black holes. Also, Dr. Brown taught introductory astronomy and developed course materials at her alma mater, Howard University. Dr. Brown is currently completing her NAFP tenure at NASA Headquarters Office of Education in Washington, DC.

Dr. Brown is a member of the American Astronomical Society, for which she previously served on the Committee on the Status of Minorities in Astronomy (CSMA) and the National Society of Black Physicists, for which she previously served on the Executive Board.

She is listed as one of the Women of NASA, an interactive project designed to encourage young women to pursue careers in math, science and technology by providing as role models outstanding women within NASA.

photo - Dr. Brown in front of a
Multiwavelength Milky Way mural.

photo - Dr. Brown talking about solar eclipses.

photo - Dr. Brown and T. Patterson at an annual meeting of the National Society of Black Physicists.

photo - Dr. Brown examing an image of galaxies.

Recent Publications

(1) Brown, B. A., Lindesay, J., "Construction of a Penrose Diagram for a Spatially Coherent Evaporating Black Hole." arXiv:0710.2032 [gr-qc].
http://arxiv.org/abs/0710.2032

(2) Brown, B. A., Lindesay, J., "Radial Photon Trajectories Near an Evaporating Black Hole." arXiv:0802.1660 [gr-qc].
http://arxiv.org/abs/0802.1660

(3) Brown, B. A., Williams, B. A., "A Search for X-ray Emission in Isolated Compact Galaxy Triplets," 2006, Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society.
http://arxiv.org/abs/0802.1660

Webpages

(1) NASA Goddard Astrophysics Science Division staff pages - Dr. Beth A. Brown bio and list of publications, talks, and presentations
http://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/staff/CVs/Beth.Brown/

(2) Goddard View article: "Goddard Scientist Revisits Howard University Hallways", page 11.
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/pdf/161724main_GV2_18.pdf

(3) Goddard News article: "Waking Up With NASA - Behind the Scenes of Live Interviews", page 15-16.
http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/goddardnews/gnews2-04.pdf

(4) Science and Everyday Experiences: Show 101
http://www.deltasee.org/radio/radio_101-105.htm

(5) Ad Astra article: "Final Frontier: Diversity and Today's NASA"
http://www.nss.org/adastra/volume14/v14n5/contents/V14_N5_F1.pdf

(6) UVI article: "UVI TO HOST NASA ASTRONAUT AND ASTROPHYSICIST"
http://new.onepaper.com/stthomasvi/?v=d&i=&s=News:Local&p=57124

(7) UVI article: "NASA SEEKS 'THE NEXT GENERATION OF EXPLORERS'"
http://new.onepaper.com/stthomasvi/?v=d&i=&s=News:Local&p=57228

(8) NASA Quest's "Meet Beth A. Brown, Ph.D."
http://quest.nasa.gov/people/bios/women/brownb.html

(9) Stanford Report article: "Physics, the next generation: Black professionals share strategies for success"
http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2001/april4/2physconf-44.html

(10) Who are the Black Astronomers & Astrophysicists?
http://www.math.buffalo.edu/mad/physics/astronomy-peeps.html

Frequently Asked Questions

For answers to questions not addressed here, you may contact me at

(Beth dot A dot Brown at nasa dot gov).

Please note that I do not answer questions I consider to be too personal, such as my actual birthdate and where I was born.

(1) What life lessons prepared you for your career?
When I started my career, I was just out of graduated school, so there were not too many "life lessons" under my belt. However, I had learned to be disciplined and focused if I were to complete the goals I set for myself.

(2) Who are your role models?
My parents who raised me in love to be an ambitious woman. My friends, who in their various fields of work, are making a difference in theirs and others lives. And a few professional mentors who have shared their wisdom with me.

(3) How can you serve as a role model for young African-Americans who aspire to be part of the space program, or your particular field?
I try to inspire others, as well as myself, by continuing to follow my pursuits with dedication and enthusiasm.

(4) How did your interest in astronomy develop?
I always liked space and seeing the images of objects in space such as galaxies. My interest in astronomy developed as I started taking classes and learning more. I found it to be fascinating, and so decided to make a career out of doing astronomy.

(5) Who was the person who encouraged you to study astronomy?
One of my professors in college was, and is, supportive of my interest in astronomy. He encouraged me to study those things which I found fascinating, and was instrumental in my decision to go to graduate school. My family has also been very supportive of my endeavors.

(6) What do you enjoy the most about working at NASA?
I enjoy being in a relaxed, yet exciting and competitive environment. I love my job because of the variety of things I get to do and the possibility of discovering something new.

(7) What is your opinion of the scientific process and what role has it played in your job?
The scientific process is actually something many of us engage in nearly every day, but we often do not view it as such. For example, you see clouds on the horizon, you think that it might rain so you pick up an umbrella on the way out the door. You wait for a while to see if it'll rain. It doesn't. You wonder why, and come up with some reasons why it didn't rain...you're engaging in the scientific process: identify a problem, develop a hypothesis, test the hypothesis, evaluate the data, revise your hypothesis as necessary. My job as a researcher is rooted in the scientific process.

(8) What can someone interested in astronomy do at Goddard?
Just as there as many different kinds of medical doctors, there are different kinds of astronomers.
Some astronomers, at NASA Goddard, work primarily on developing new instrumentation and technologies for spacecraft and detectors.
Others are researching the evolution of stars, from how nuclear reactions begin in the stellar core, to how a very massive star may eventually wind up as a black hole.
Other astronomers examine far-away galaxies and galaxy clusters. Most galaxies in the Universe tend to be in groups and clusters. These clusters are believed to contain what astronomers call "dark matter" - matter that is not visible to us as familiar objects such as stars.
There are also astronomers here who study the Sun. They work along with space physicists to try and understand the Earth-Sun environment, and how the Sun affects life here on Earth.
Astronomical studies are being carried out across the electromagnetic spectrum from gamma rays and x-rays, to visible wavelengths, to infrared and radio.

(9) What do you think is your greatest achievement to date?
To me, it was convincing a young woman not to give up on her dreams to become a scientist because someone told her she couldn't.