Dorota Grejner-Brzezińska facts for kids
Dorota A. Grejner-Brzezińska, born in 1963, is a Polish-American engineer. She is well-known for her work with the Global Positioning System (GPS). GPS is the satellite system that helps us find locations on Earth. She is a highly respected professor at Ohio State University. There, she holds a special teaching position and directs a research center focused on satellite positioning. She also helps lead the university's research efforts.
Her research on GPS has made it much better. She has improved how we figure out satellite paths and Earth's movements. She also helped combine GPS with other tools for mapping from the air. Her work includes making GPS more accurate and combining it with other navigation systems. She even uses GPS signals to help detect things like earthquakes and nuclear tests.
Becoming an Engineer
Dorota Grejner-Brzezińska grew up in Olsztyn, Poland. She earned her first university degree in Poland in 1988. Later, she came to the United States as a Fulbright Scholar. This is a special program that helps students study abroad. She then earned her master's degree and Ph.D. at Ohio State University in 1995.
After finishing her studies, she continued her research at Ohio State. She became a professor there in 1999. Over the years, she took on many leadership roles. She became a special endowed professor in 2013. She also led the Civil, Environmental, and Geodetic Engineering Department. Later, she became a dean in the College of Engineering. In 2020, she became a senior leader for research across the whole university. By 2022, she was named Vice President for Knowledge Enterprise.
She has also served in important national roles. From 2015 to 2017, she was the president of the Institute of Navigation. This group focuses on navigation science and technology. In 2019, she joined the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. This group advises the U.S. President on science topics. In 2021, she became a lead researcher for a major engineering research project. Most recently, President Biden appointed her to the National Science Board (NSB). This board helps guide science and engineering policy in the U.S.
Awards and Achievements
Dorota Grejner-Brzezińska has received many honors for her work. She was named a Fellow of the International Association of Geodesy in 2007. She also became a Fellow of the Institute of Navigation in 2011. In 2014, she was named a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Navigation.
A very big honor came in 2019 when she was chosen for the National Academy of Engineering. This is one of the highest honors for an engineer. She was recognized for her contributions to geodesy and satellite navigation. She was the first woman from Ohio State University to receive this award. In 2021, she was also named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
In 2016, the Institute of Navigation gave her the Johannes Kepler Award. This award recognized her long and important contributions to satellite navigation. Her former university in Poland also gave her an award for her great research in geodesy and satellite navigation. In 2017, she received a distinguished service award from the Institute of Navigation. In 2018, she received the John Harrison Award for her lifetime achievements. She was the first woman to ever receive this international award.
She has also been recognized for her efforts to promote diversity. She received an award for helping scholars from dangerous parts of the world. In 2021, she received the College of Engineering's Faculty Diversity Excellence Award.
