Catherine Pilachowski

Catherine Pilachowski
Born
Catherine Anderson Pilachowski

1949 (age 76–77)
Sacramento, California, U.S.
Education
Scientific career
FieldsAstronomy
Workplaces
Thesis The Luminosities and Compositions of a Group of Mildly Peculiar Late-Type Giant Stars  (1975)
Walter Bonsack

Catherine Anderson Pilachowski (born 1949) is an American astronomer, professor and Kirkwood Chair in astronomy at Indiana University Bloomington. She is a fellow at the American Association for the Advancement of Science and former president of the American Astronomical Society.

Early life and education

Pilachowski was born and raised in California. She has stated that growing up during the Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union led to her interest in becoming an astronomer.

She received her B.S. in Physics in 1971 from Harvey Mudd College in California and an M.S. and Ph.D. in 1975 from the University of Hawaii.

Career

Pilachowski is a fellow at the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Astronomical Society. She was president of the American Astronomical Society from 2002 to 2004. For over twenty years, she was a staff astronomer at the National Optical Astronomy Observatory's Kitt Peak Observatory in Tucson, Arizona, where she served as project scientist for the design and construction of the WIYN Telescope.

Pilachowski became a professor of astronomy at Indiana University and in 2001 was named the Daniel Kirkwood Chair in the Department of Astronomy.

Pilachowski specializes in understanding the spectra of starlight. Her work has included searching for the molecular species hydrogen fluoride.

Publications

References

  1. 1 2 Nemeh, Katherine H., ed. (2020). "Pilachowski, Catherine A.". American Men & Women of Science: A Biographical Directory of Today's Leaders in Physical, Biological, and Related Sciences. Vol. 12 (38th ed.). Farmington Hills, MI: Gale. p. 8761. ISBN 978-0-02-866695-2. Archived from the original on 2023-02-21. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
  2. 1 2 3 "Catherine Pilachowski". News at IU. 2019-03-07. Archived from the original on 2021-04-17. Retrieved 2021-03-29.
  3. 1 2 "An Interview with Caty Pilachowski". www.astro.indiana.edu. Archived from the original on 2020-08-03. Retrieved 2021-03-29.
  4. 1 2 "Astronomy Department | Indiana University Bloomington". www.astro.indiana.edu. Archived from the original on 2021-04-18. Retrieved 2021-03-29.
  5. ↑ "NASA bio" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2010-01-12.
  6. ↑ "History of Women in Astronomy: Catherine Pilachowski". www.physics.sfsu.edu. Archived from the original on 2019-09-17. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  7. ↑ "Catherine A. Pilachowski: University Honors and Awards: Indiana University". University Honors & Awards. Archived from the original on 2021-06-24. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  8. ↑ Croswell, Ken (2015-09-11). "How neutrinos saved your teeth from cavities". Science | AAAS. Archived from the original on 2023-02-21. Retrieved 2021-03-29.