User:Lunazagor/Dara Norman

Dara Norman
Alma mater	MIT University of Washington
Scientific career
Fields	Astronomy Gravitational Lensing Active Galactic Nuclei Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Institutions	National Optical Astronomy Observatory Howard University
Thesis	Quasar-galaxy correlations and the detection of magnification bias  (1999)
Doctoral advisor	Craig Hogan
Other academic advisors	James L. Elliot, Chris Impey

Dara Norman is an American astronomer and Deputy Director of the Community Science and Data Center at the National Optical Astronomy Observatory.

Early life and education

Dara Norman's interest in science began in early childhood, promoted by her mother's interest in science fiction and the space program. Early in primary school, she wanted to be an astronaut. The first time she looked through a telescope was in her second year of college at MIT, and being able to see Jupiter and its Great Red Spot turned her eye towards astronomy.

She earned a B.S. in Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Science from MIT under the mentorship of James L. Elliot. She then earned her Ph.D. in astronomy in 1999, the first that the University of Washington has awarded to an African-American woman. She completed her thesis, entitled "Quasar-galaxy correlations and the detection of magnification bias," under the supervision of Craig Hogan and in collaboration with Chris Impey.

Research

Norman's doctoral thesis focused on bias in astronomical data from gravitational lensing and magnification from quasars. Since then, she has shifted her focus to AGN, which is a phenomenon that occurs when gas and stars are accreted by supermassive black holes at the center of some galaxies. She is particularly interested in what triggers these active galaxies, why some are more luminous than others, and whether the galaxy's environment plays a role. Norman is a member of the RESOLVE survey and has been involved with the Vera C. Rubin Observatory.

Awards

As a graduate student, Norman was awarded the Danforth Fellowship. After graduating, she went on to a post-doctoral position on an NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, after which she moved on to a position as an Assistant Scientist at the NOAO. She has since been promoted to Associate Scientist and Deputy Director of the Community Science and Data Center at the NOAO. In 2012, the University of Washington recognized her exemplary scholarship and service with a Distinguished Alumni Timeless Award from the University of Washington. She was a visiting professor at Howard University in 2015 under the Howard Advance-IT Visiting Faculty Fellowship. In 2020, she was elected an American Astronomical Society Legacy Fellow for "original research and publication, innovative contributions to astronomical techniques or instrumentation, significant contributions to education and public outreach, and noteworthy service to astronomy and to the Society itself."

Work on STEM Accessability

Norman has been an active member of the American Astronomical Society’s Committee on the Status of Minorities in Astronomy, was the chair of the astronomy and astrophysics section of the National Society of Black Physicists, and a speaker at the 4th Women in Astronomy Conference. She has led and co-authored numerous white papers for both the 2010 and 2020 decadal survey for the American Astronomical Society. She co-organized the Inclusive Astronomy Conference in 2015 [1]; a follow-up conference, Inclusive Astronomy 2, was held in late 2019. In June 2020, she delivered a plenary lecture at the 236th meeting of the American Astronomical Society on "The Inclusion Revolution" [2].

Personal Life

Norman lives with her family in Arizona. She likes science fiction and memorizes Monty Python scenes.