Dr. Laura A. Whitlock

Job Description: Astrophysicist

Office: GSFC Building 2, Rm. W230

Phone: (301) 286-1578

e-mail: whitlock@lheavx.gsfc.nasa.gov

Dr. Laura A. Whitlock serves as a research scientist for the Universities Space Research Association in Greenbelt, Maryland. Currently, she is creating, developing, and promoting education and outreach materials, focusing on the field of high-energy astrophysics and how it probes the structure and evolution of our Universe. A project leader for the "Imagine the Universe!" and "StarChild" Web sites, Whitlock also develops and presents workshops about high-energy astronomy and available education resources to educators at state and national education meetings, conducts National Teacher Training Institute (NTTI) workshops, and leads scientist training workshops.

Credit: L. Whitlock Photo of Dr. Whitlock?

Dr. Whitlock received a BS with honors in Physics from Southwestern at Memphis (now Rhodes College), and a PhD in Physics from the University of Florida in Gainesville.

Dr. Whitlock has received numerous awards and fellowships including: the Southwestern Scholar Award, 1977-1981; the Graduate Fellowship for Women in Non-Traditional Careers in 1981; Who's Who in American Science and Engineering; the USRA Community Service and Education Outreach Award; NASA/GSFC Group Achievement Award (HEASARC); Global Information Infrastructure (GII) Award semi-finalist for both the Children and Education categories in 1998 ; and the Webby Award winner for Best Education Web Site in 1998.

In her spare time, she still tries to do science. These days she is concentrating her efforts on Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer observations of X- ray binary systems.