Doris Daou facts for kids

Doris Daou, born in 1964, is a scientist who studies space, called an astronomer. She was born in Lebanon and is now a Canadian-American citizen. She used to lead education programs at NASA and is currently involved in NASA's "Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration" (SIMPLEx) program.

Early Life and Education

Doris Daou's family moved from Lebanon to Canada when she was a child. This was because of a war happening in her home country.

She went to the Université de Montréal in Quebec. There, she studied physics and mathematics. She also earned a master's degree in astronomy and astrophysics. Her studies focused on different types of variable stars, which are stars whose brightness changes over time.

Doris Daou's Career at NASA

After finishing her studies, Doris Daou moved to the United States. She worked in Baltimore, Maryland, for nine years. During this time, she helped with the Hubble Space Telescope. This famous telescope takes amazing pictures of space.

In 1999, she joined the team working on the Spitzer Space Telescope. This telescope observes the universe in infrared light. She helped create educational programs for teachers and students. These programs allowed them to do their own research using Spitzer data.

Working at NASA Headquarters

Doris Daou started working at NASA Headquarters in 2006. She has had many important jobs there. She was an officer for education and public outreach programs. From 2008, she directed education at the NASA Lunar Science Institute. Later, she became an associate director for the NASA Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI).

She has also helped manage NASA's grant programs. These programs give money to scientists for their research. Since 2014, she has been a Senior Scientist and Program Officer. She also works as Chief of Staff for the Director of the Planetary Science Division. This division studies planets and other objects in our solar system.

Spreading Knowledge About Space

From 2012 to 2018, Doris Daou was part of the International Astronomical Union. This is a group of astronomers from all over the world. She worked on commissions focused on sharing astronomy with the public.

She created and produced a show called Ask an Astronomer. This show is a video podcast where people can learn about space. Her own research looks at how stars and planets form. She also studies planets outside our solar system, called exoplanets. She often publishes her findings in science journals.

In 2008, she helped write a book called Touch the Invisible Sky. This book is special because it is written in Braille, so people who are blind can read it. In 2017, she also helped write about a workshop on the future of planetary science.

Doris Daou has also worked on a project to raise awareness about asteroids. She and Patrick Michel contributed to the International Year Initiative For Planetary Defence 2029. This project aims to prepare for a large asteroid that will pass close to Earth in 2029. They proposed the International Year of Planetary Defence (IYPD2029) to help people learn about this important topic.

See also

In Spanish: Doris Daou para niños