PROF. CLOSE WINS NSF EARLY CAREER AWARD

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded Aero/Astro Asst. Prof. Sigrid Close a Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program award to be used to extend her research in "meteor and meteoroid characterization using high-power large-aperture radar data." Her project will "combine theory, numerical modeling, and observations of sporadic meteors and meteoroid plasmas in order to address fundamental questions regarding their origin and influence on the upper atmosphere."

The NSF describes the CAREER Program as offering their "most prestigious awards in support for junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education, and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organizations. Such activities should build a firm foundation for a lifetime of leadership in integrating education and research."

Prof. Close is currently teaching courses in Classical Dynamics and in Plasma Physics and Engineering. Her Space Environment and Satellite Systems Laboratory studies how the space environment affects spacecraft.