Christine Darden: Difference between revisions
Added book and film adaptation, elaborated on her background in aerodynamics and education. Also the infobox is pretty now. |
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{{Under construction}}{{Infobox scientist |
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| name = Christine Darden |
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| image = Christine Darden.jpg |
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| birth_date = September 10, 1942 |
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| fields = aeronautical engineering |
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| alma_mater = [[Hampton University]], 1962; |
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[[George Washington University]], 1985 |
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| known_for = studies in sonic booms |
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| awards = Dr. A. T. Weathers Technical Achievement Award, 1985 |
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}} |
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'''Christine Darden''' (born September 10, 1942) is an American aeronautical engineer who researches [[sonic boom]]s at [[NASA]]. |
'''Christine Darden''' (born September 10, 1942) is an American aeronautical engineer who researches [[sonic boom]]s at [[NASA]]. |
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==Early life== |
==Early life== |
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Darden was born September 10, 1942 to Desma Cheney and Noah Horace Mann Sr. in [[Monroe, North Carolina]]. Her mother was an elementary school teacher and her father was an insurance agent. Her parents encouraged her education |
Darden was born September 10, 1942 to Desma Cheney and Noah Horace Mann Sr. in [[Monroe, North Carolina]]. Her mother was an elementary school teacher and her father was an insurance agent. Her parents encouraged her education. Darden finished her last two years of primary education at Allen High School, a boarding school in [[Asheville, North Carolina]]. She graduated as the class [[valedictorian]] in 1958, subsequently receiving a scholarship to attend [[Hampton University]], then known as Hampton Institute. She graduated from Hampton with a B.S. in Mathematics in 1962. She also earned a teaching certification, spending a brief portion of her early career teaching high school mathematics.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nasa.gov/centers/langley/news/researchernews/rn_CDarden.html|title=NASA - Standing on the Shoulders of a Computer|website=www.nasa.gov|language=en|access-date=2016-09-09}}</ref> |
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In 1963, she married Walter L. Darden Jr., a middle school science teacher. In 1965 she became a research assistant at [[Virginia State College]], studying aerosol physics. At Virginia State, she also worked as a professor of mathematics and earned her M.S. in 1967.<ref name="Oakes">{{cite book |last=Oakes |first=Elizabeth |date=2002 |title=International Encyclopedia of Women Scientists |location=New York |publisher=Facts on File |pages=81–82 |isbn=0-8160-4381-7}}</ref> |
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==Career== |
==Career== |
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In 1967 Darden was hired by NASA as a data analyst at [[Langley Research Center]]. At first her work was primarily performing calculations for engineers, but she later began writing computer programs for the engineers. In 1973 she was promoted to an aerospace engineer. During this time she continued her education, earning her Ph.D in 1983 from [[George Washington University]]. |
In 1967 Darden was hired by NASA as a data analyst at [[Langley Research Center]]. At first her work was primarily performing calculations for engineers, but she later began writing computer programs for the engineers. In 1973 she was promoted to an aerospace engineer. During this time she continued her education, earning her Ph.D in 1983 from [[George Washington University]]. Her early findings resulted in a revolution of [[aerodynamics]] design demonstrating low-boom sonic effects in the 1960s and 1970s.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Darden|first=Christine|date=1977|title=Sonic Boom Theory: Its Status in Prediction and Minimization|url=|journal=J. Aircraft|volume=129|issue=|doi=|pmid=|access-date=|via=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Darden|first=Christine|date=January 1, 1979|title=Sonic-Boom Minimization With Nose-Bluntness Relaxation|url=http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19790006829.pdf|journal=Technical Journal|volume=|issue=|doi=|pmid=|access-date=September 8, 2016|via=}}</ref> |
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In 1989 she was appointed leader of the Sonic Boom Team, a subsidiary of the High Speed Research (HSR) Program. On the Sonic Boom Team she worked to decrease the negative effects of sonic booms such as [[noise pollution]] and the [[depletion of the ozone layer]]. Her team tested new wing and nose designs for supersonic aircraft. She also designed a computer program to simulate sonic booms.<ref name="Oakes" /> The program was unceremoniously cancelled in February 1998, "without fan fare or press announcement."<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Reynolds|first=Randolph S.|date=2004|title=An Overview of the Demise of NASA’s High Speed Research Program|url=http://commons.erau.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1536&context=jaaer|journal=Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research|volume=14|issue=1|doi=|pmid=|access-date=September 8, 2016|via=}}</ref> A 1998 abstract published by Darden describes the program as focused on "technologies needed for the development of an environmentally friendly, economically viable High-Speed Civil Transport [HSCT]."<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Darden|first=Christine|date=September 11, 1998|title=An Overview of NASA's HSR Program: Environmental Issues and Economic Concerns|url=http://www.cs.odu.edu/~mln/ltrs-pdfs/NASA-98-eccmas-cmd.pdf|journal=European Community on Computational Methods in Applied Sciences|volume=|issue=|doi=|pmid=|access-date=|via=}}</ref> |
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In March 2007, Darden retired from NASA as director of the Office of Strategic Communication and Education.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.nasa.gov/centers/langley/news/researchernews/rn_07retirees.html|title=More Than 40 Take the Buyout, Retire|last=|first=|date=April 4, 2007|work=The Researcher News|access-date=September 8, 2016|via=}}</ref> |
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She is the author of more than 50 publications in the general field of aeronautical design, specializing in [[supersonic flow]] and flap design, as well as the prediction and minimization of sonic booms. |
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== Book and film portrayal == |
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Dr. Darden is one of several African American scientists featured in ''Hidden Figures'', a nonfiction book by [[Margot Lee Shetterly|Margo Lee Shetterly]]. A [[Hidden Figures|film adaptation]] of same name is slated to be released in the United States on December 25, 2016. Darden will not be portrayed onscreen in the movie.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/06/books/on-being-black-female-math-whizzes-during-the-space-race.html|title=On Being a Black Female Math Whiz During the Space Race|last=Buckley|first=Cara|date=2016-09-05|newspaper=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|access-date=2016-09-09}}</ref> |
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==Awards== |
==Awards== |
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Christine Darden | |
|---|---|
 Christine Darden in the control room of NASA Langley's Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel in 1975. Credit: NASA | |
| Born | September 10, 1942 |
| Alma mater | Hampton University, 1962; George Washington University, 1985 |
| Known for | studies in sonic booms |
| Awards | Dr. A. T. Weathers Technical Achievement Award, 1985 |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | aeronautical engineering |
Christine Darden (born September 10, 1942) is an American aeronautical engineer who researches sonic booms at NASA.
Early life
Darden was born September 10, 1942 to Desma Cheney and Noah Horace Mann Sr. in Monroe, North Carolina. Her mother was an elementary school teacher and her father was an insurance agent. Her parents encouraged her education. Darden finished her last two years of primary education at Allen High School, a boarding school in Asheville, North Carolina. She graduated as the class valedictorian in 1958, subsequently receiving a scholarship to attend Hampton University, then known as Hampton Institute. She graduated from Hampton with a B.S. in Mathematics in 1962. She also earned a teaching certification, spending a brief portion of her early career teaching high school mathematics.[1]
In 1963, she married Walter L. Darden Jr., a middle school science teacher. In 1965 she became a research assistant at Virginia State College, studying aerosol physics. At Virginia State, she also worked as a professor of mathematics and earned her M.S. in 1967.[2]
Career
In 1967 Darden was hired by NASA as a data analyst at Langley Research Center. At first her work was primarily performing calculations for engineers, but she later began writing computer programs for the engineers. In 1973 she was promoted to an aerospace engineer. During this time she continued her education, earning her Ph.D in 1983 from George Washington University. Her early findings resulted in a revolution of aerodynamics design demonstrating low-boom sonic effects in the 1960s and 1970s.[3][4]
In 1989 she was appointed leader of the Sonic Boom Team, a subsidiary of the High Speed Research (HSR) Program. On the Sonic Boom Team she worked to decrease the negative effects of sonic booms such as noise pollution and the depletion of the ozone layer. Her team tested new wing and nose designs for supersonic aircraft. She also designed a computer program to simulate sonic booms.[2] The program was unceremoniously cancelled in February 1998, "without fan fare or press announcement."[5] A 1998 abstract published by Darden describes the program as focused on "technologies needed for the development of an environmentally friendly, economically viable High-Speed Civil Transport [HSCT]."[6]
In March 2007, Darden retired from NASA as director of the Office of Strategic Communication and Education.[7]
She is the author of more than 50 publications in the general field of aeronautical design, specializing in supersonic flow and flap design, as well as the prediction and minimization of sonic booms.
Book and film portrayal
Dr. Darden is one of several African American scientists featured in Hidden Figures, a nonfiction book by Margo Lee Shetterly. A film adaptation of same name is slated to be released in the United States on December 25, 2016. Darden will not be portrayed onscreen in the movie.[8]
Awards
In 1985 Darden was awarded the Dr. A. T. Weathers Technical Achievement Award from the National Technical Association. She also received three Certificates of Outstanding Performance from Langley Research Center in 1989, 1991, and 1992.[2]
References
- ^ "NASA - Standing on the Shoulders of a Computer". www.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2016-09-09.
- ^ a b c Oakes, Elizabeth (2002). International Encyclopedia of Women Scientists. New York: Facts on File. pp. 81–82. ISBN 0-8160-4381-7.
- ^ Darden, Christine (1977). "Sonic Boom Theory: Its Status in Prediction and Minimization". J. Aircraft. 129.
- ^ Darden, Christine (January 1, 1979). "Sonic-Boom Minimization With Nose-Bluntness Relaxation" (PDF). Technical Journal. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
- ^ Reynolds, Randolph S. (2004). "An Overview of the Demise of NASA's High Speed Research Program". Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research. 14 (1). Retrieved September 8, 2016.
- ^ Darden, Christine (September 11, 1998). "An Overview of NASA's HSR Program: Environmental Issues and Economic Concerns" (PDF). European Community on Computational Methods in Applied Sciences.
- ^ "More Than 40 Take the Buyout, Retire". The Researcher News. April 4, 2007. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
- ^ Buckley, Cara (2016-09-05). "On Being a Black Female Math Whiz During the Space Race". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-09-09.