Sarah Kurtz facts for kids
Sarah R. Kurtz is an American scientist who studies materials. She is famous for her work with solar energy and solar cells. She even helped use special solar cells on robots in space! She used to work at a big lab called the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Now, she is a professor at the University of California, Merced.
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Becoming a Scientist: Sarah Kurtz's Journey
Early Life and School
Sarah Kurtz grew up in Defiance, Ohio. She went to public schools there. In 1979, she finished college at Manchester College. She studied chemistry and physics, which are both about how things work in the world.
Advanced Studies
She then went to Harvard University for more schooling. In 1985, she earned her Ph.D. in chemical physics. This means she became an expert in how chemicals and physics combine. Her special project was about making very thin layers of materials.
Working with Solar Power
After her studies, Sarah Kurtz joined the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in 1985. This is a place where scientists work on new energy ideas. She started as a researcher there. She focused on making solar cells better. In 2017, she moved to the University of California, Merced. There, she teaches and continues her research.
Awards and Achievements
Sarah Kurtz has won many important awards for her work. These awards show how much her research has helped the world.
Dan David Prize
In 2007, Sarah Kurtz and another scientist, Jerry Olson, won a Dan David Prize. This award is given for amazing contributions to different fields. They won for their work on photovoltaic energy, which is how solar cells turn sunlight into electricity.
IEEE William R. Cherry Award
The IEEE Electron Devices Society gave her the William R. Cherry Award in 2012. This award recognized her important work on multi-junction solar cells. These are special solar cells that can capture more energy from the sun.
Clean Energy Lifetime Achievement
In 2016, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the US Clean Energy Education & Empowerment (C3E) Initiative. This award honored her many years of dedication to clean energy.
National Academy of Engineering
Sarah Kurtz was chosen to join the National Academy of Engineering in 2020. This is a very high honor for engineers in the United States. She was recognized for helping to develop special solar cells and for her leadership in making solar cells reliable and high-quality. She was the first professor from UC Merced to be elected to this important academy.
