Paula Szkody facts for kids

Paula Szkody is an American astronomer. She teaches astronomy at the University of Washington in Seattle. From 2020 to 2022, she led the American Astronomical Society as its president. She was born on July 17, 1948, in Detroit, Michigan.

Early Life and School

Paula Szkody was born in Detroit, Michigan, on July 17, 1948. She loved learning about space from a young age. In 1970, she earned her first degree in astrophysics from Michigan State University. Later, in 1975, she received her Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of Washington. A Ph.D. is a very high degree you can get at a university.

Studying Stars

Paula Szkody is an expert in a special type of star system. These are called cataclysmic variable stars. Imagine two stars orbiting each other very closely. One star is usually a small, dense white dwarf. The other star is a normal star, like our Sun. The white dwarf pulls gas from its companion star. This gas builds up and then suddenly explodes, making the system much brighter. This explosion is called an "outburst."

She also looks for new dwarf novae. These are a type of cataclysmic variable star that has repeated outbursts. Dr. Szkody uses data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) to find them. She has also worked with many important space telescopes and missions. These include the XTE, ASCA, ROSAT, IUE, HST, EUVE, and XMM-Newton. These tools help scientists study stars and space from far away.

Working with Other Astronomers

In 2005, Dr. Szkody became the main editor for an important science magazine. This magazine is called Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (PASP). It publishes new discoveries in astronomy.

She also works closely with amateur astronomers. These are people who study stars as a hobby. She often works with the American Association of Variable Star Observers. She was on their board from 2003 to 2009. She even served as their president from 2007 to 2009. From 2020 to 2022, she was the president of the American Astronomical Society. This is a big group for professional astronomers.

Awards and Recognition

In 1978, Paula Szkody received a special award. It was the Annie Jump Cannon Award in Astronomy. This award is given by the American Astronomical Society to young women astronomers.

Since 1994, she has been a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. This means she is recognized as an important scientist. A small planet in space has even been named after her!