I am currently the manager of the Astrophysics Section at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

My parents were not scientists —my father was a writer for TV and educational films. My hobbies included horseback riding, ice skating, sewing and reading. I first became excited about science in junior high when I was introduced to biology and chemistry by terrific science teachers who made everything interesting.
Physics captured my attention in high school as the world entered the space age. I knew I wanted to major in physics and selected my college (Cornell University) with this in mind. I turned to plasma physics and fusion research for my Ph D and more recently have applied my physics background to understanding the Sun and the solar wind.