Doris Daou

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Doris Daou
Born1964 (1964)
Alma materUniversité de Montréal
Known forNASA communications
Scientific career
FieldsAstronomy
InstitutionsNational 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]

Early life and education[edit]

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[edit]

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:

  • 55 Communicating Astronomy with the Public (2012-2015)
  • 55 WG CAP Conferences (until 2015)
  • C2 WG CAP Conferences (2015-2018)
  • 55 WG Outreach Professionalization & Accreditation (until 2015)
  • Outreach Professionalization & Accreditation (2015-2018)
  • 55 WG Washington Charter For CAP (until 2015)"[17]

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[edit]

  • Daou, D.; Wesemael, F.; Bergeron, P.; Fontaine, G.; Holberg, J. B. (1990). "Spectroscopic Studies and Atmospheric Parameters of Pulsating DA White Dwarf (ZZ Ceti) Stars". The Astrophysical Journal. 364: 242. Bibcode:1990ApJ...364..242D. doi:10.1086/169407.
  • Daou, Doris; Skinner, C. J.; Axon, David (1997). "NICMOS Pointed Thermal Background: Results from On-Orbit data". The 1997 HST Calibration Workshop with a New Generation of Instruments: 267. Bibcode:1997hstc.work..267D.
  • Daou, Doris (2009). "Education and public outreach initiatives from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration". Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union. 5. doi:10.1017/S1743921311003590.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "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. ^ a b "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. ^ a b "Candidate Statement: Doris Daou | American Astronomical Society". aas.org. Retrieved 2018-09-22.
  15. ^ a b "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. ^ a b "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)

External links[edit]