Elizabeth Lada facts for kids
Elizabeth Lada is an American astronomer. She studies how young groups of stars, called "embedded clusters," form and change inside giant clouds of gas and dust in space. She wants to understand where these stars come from and what happens to them over time.
Early Life and Education
Elizabeth Lada studied physics at Yale University, earning her first degree in 1983. She then went on to get her Ph.D. (a higher degree) in astronomy from the University of Texas in 1990.
Today, Professor Lada teaches astronomy at the University of Florida.
Awards and Recognition
Elizabeth Lada has received many important awards for her work in astronomy:
- In 1992, the American Astronomical Society (AAS) gave her the Annie J. Cannon Prize. This award recognizes outstanding research by a woman astronomer.
- She was also named a Hubble Fellow while working at the University of Maryland. This is a special fellowship for promising young astronomers.
- In 1999, she received an NSF CAREER award. This award supports early-career faculty members who are excellent researchers and teachers.
- She was given a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) in 1998. This is the highest honor given by the U.S. government to young scientists and engineers.
In 2023, she became a Fellow of the AAS. This honor recognized her groundbreaking work using special infrared cameras to study young stars hidden in giant gas clouds. She also helped figure out how often and for how long young stars have disks of material around them, which is where planets can form. She has also served the astronomy community on many important boards and committees.
