Diane Henderson facts for kids

Diane Marie Henderson is a very smart American scientist. She is an expert in how liquids and gases move, like water in the ocean or air in the sky. This field is called fluid dynamics. She also uses math to study the ocean, which is known as mathematical oceanography.

What makes her research extra cool is that she doesn't just use computers. She also does real-life experiments! She uses special tanks filled with water, called wave tanks. She also uses super-fast cameras and tiny oil droplets to see how things move.

Becoming a Scientist

Diane Henderson studied at the University of California, San Diego. She earned her Ph.D. there in 1990. A Ph.D. is the highest degree you can get in many subjects. Her special project was about "Faraday Waves." These are interesting waves that can appear on the surface of a liquid.

Teaching and Leading

Today, Dr. Henderson is a professor of mathematics at Pennsylvania State University. She helps lead a special lab there called the William G. Pritchard Fluid Mechanics Laboratory. In this lab, scientists study how fluids behave.

Awards and Recognition

Dr. Henderson has received important awards for her work. In 1992, she became a Packard Foundation Fellow. This award helps young scientists do important research. She also received a Sloan Research Fellowship in 1996. This fellowship is given to promising young researchers in science and math. These awards show how important her work is in the world of science.