Karen Willcox facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Karen Willcox MNZM
Willcox in 2024
Born	Auckland, New Zealand
Alma mater	University of Auckland Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Known for	Reduced-order modeling, multi-fidelity methods
Scientific career
Fields	Computational science aerospace engineering
Institutions	Massachusetts Institute of Technology University of Texas at Austin
Thesis	Reduced-order aerodynamic models for aeroelastic control of turbomachines (2000)
Doctoral advisor	Jaime Peraire James Paduano

Karen Elizabeth Willcox is a brilliant engineer and scientist from New Zealand. She works in aerospace engineering, which is about designing and building aircraft and spacecraft. She also specializes in computational science, which uses computers to solve big science and engineering problems.

Karen Willcox is famous for her work on "reduced-order modeling." This is a smart way to simplify very complex math problems so computers can solve them much faster. She also works with "multi-fidelity methods," which means combining different levels of detail in computer models to get good results quickly.

Today, she leads the Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin. She is also a professor there, teaching aerospace engineering.

Early Life and Education

Karen Willcox grew up in Auckland, New Zealand. She went to the University of Auckland and earned her first degree in Engineering Science in 1994.

After that, she moved to Boston, Massachusetts in the United States. She studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which is a very famous science and engineering school.

At MIT, she earned two more degrees. She got a master's degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics in 1996. Then, in 2000, she earned her PhD in the same subject. Her PhD research was about making simpler computer models for airplane engines.

While studying at MIT, Karen was also very active. She played for the MIT Women's Rugby team. She loves running marathons and is an experienced mountain climber.

Karen Willcox always dreamed of becoming an astronaut. She even made it to the final list of candidates for NASA's astronaut training program twice, in 2009 and 2013.

Career Highlights

After finishing her PhD, Karen Willcox worked at Boeing for a year. Boeing is a big company that builds airplanes. She helped design a special type of aircraft.

In 2001, she became a professor at MIT in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics. She taught students about aircraft and space travel. In 2008, she also helped start a new center at MIT for computational engineering. She worked at MIT until 2018.

In August 2018, Karen Willcox moved to the University of Texas at Austin. She became the director of the Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences. This institute uses powerful computers to solve tough engineering and science challenges.

Besides her research, Karen Willcox also cares a lot about science education. She believes in new ways to teach students. She has also worked to encourage more girls to get involved in science and engineering. She is on the Advisory Board of Girls' Angle, an organization that helps girls learn math.

Awards and Recognition

Karen Willcox has received many important awards for her work.

In 2017, she was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit. This is a special honor from her home country, New Zealand, for her great contributions to aerospace engineering and education.

In 2018, she was chosen as a Fellow of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics. This means she is recognized as a top expert in using math to solve real-world problems.

In 2019, she was also elected as a Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. This is a high honor for people who have made big impacts in the field of aerospace.