Barbara Abraham-Shrauner facts for kids
Barbara Wayne Abraham-Shrauner is an amazing American scientist. She is a physicist, a mathematician, and an electrical engineer. She is famous for studying how things like plasma and magnetohydrodynamics work. Plasma is a special state of matter, like the stuff stars are made of! She also studied how to use plasma to make tiny parts for computers. She used to be a professor at Washington University in St. Louis.
Her Journey in Science
Barbara Abraham-Shrauner loved learning. She went to the University of Colorado and finished her first degree in 1956. Then, she went to Harvard University. She earned her master's degree in 1957. She also got her Ph.D. from Harvard in 1962. A Ph.D. is the highest university degree you can get!
After her studies, she did more research. She worked at the Université libre de Bruxelles and at NASA's Ames Research Center. In 1966, she joined the faculty at Washington University in St. Louis. She taught there full-time until 2003. Even after retiring, she still works part-time as a Senior Professor. She is in the Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering.
Awards and Recognition
Barbara Abraham-Shrauner has received special honors for her work. In 1999, she became a Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS). This is a big honor for physicists. The APS recognized her for her important ideas about plasma. This included her work on space plasmas, how things change over time, and how plasma is used in technology. There is also a special scholarship named after her. It is called the Barbara Abraham Shrauner Endowed Scholarship in Physics. This scholarship helps college students who want to study physics or engineering physics.
Her Family
Barbara Abraham-Shrauner was married to James Ely Shrauner. He was also a professor of physics at Washington University.
