I am an astronomer, a student, a teacher, and a researcher ...and I am a woman.
There is an element of schizophrenia inherent in the life of an astronomer. Torn between the light and darkness, we must be the thoughtful instructor to our day weary students, and the nocturnal voyeur, diligently stalking the heavens. To the public we must be eloquent in our elocution of true wisdom, while among ourselves we stumble to find possible explanations for that which we don't understand. We are researchers who think logically and live by reason, yet we are humans and are bound to our emotions. We are torn in every direction: research, family, teaching, learning, community and academic isolation.
Why do I fight to wend my way through so many mazes and masks? Because astronomers are also free to learn and to discover the truths that no man has yet realized, and while we can never fully know all the answers, the pursuit of that one next piece of the universal puzzle drives me to drive myself to meet the challenges of all the characters I am asked to play.
Photo Albums
- McDonald Observatory, and other observatories
- My Adventures
- My Dogs Ursa & Sarah
- Horseback Riding