I received an AB degree from Vassar College in 1983 and a Ph.D. in Experimental Condensed Matter Physics from Tufts University in 1989.  From 1990 to 2000, I worked in the Materials Science and Engineering Department of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, initially as a Postdoctoral Research Associate, and eventually as a Research Assistant Professor.  In 2000, I joined the faculty of the College of the Holy Cross in the Department of Physics.  Currently, I am the Principal Investigator of the Transient Dendritic Solidification Experiment (TDSE), a flight experiemnt being prepared for operations on the International Space Station in 2006.  I am also the Co-Investigator of the Rensselaer Isothermal Dendritic Growth Experiement (RIDGE), a continuation of the project I worked on while at Rensselaer.  At Rensselaer, I served as the Lead Scientist for the Isothermal Dendritic Growth Experiment (IDGE), a basic microgravity research project on dendritic solidification that conducted Space Shuttle flight experiments on STS-62, -75, and -87.  Also at Rensselaer, I taught Introductory Physics in a newly instituted Mobile Laptop Computing Program.  I have authored or co-authored over 50 technical papers and have prepared or presented over 100 technical talks, including one in the AIAA Distinguished Lecturer Program.  I am a member of the AAPT, AIAA, APS, and Sigma Xi,  and serve on the AIAA Technical Committee on Microgravity and Space Processes.  In addition to these research and professional activities, I have been heavily involved in outreach and education. I developed and organized a two-week workshop to introduce local K - 12 teachers to microgravity science, and have continued to work with and involve teachers, their students, and the local community in learning about science, engineering, and NASA's microgravity program.
 

Recent Publications (1996 - Present)

Recent Presentations (1998 - Present)
 

Media Interviews (1996 - Present)