Kathleen DeGioia Eastwood (published as DeGioia-Eastwood) is an American astronomer known for her research on the formation and evolution of massive stars, and for her work on undergraduate education in astronomy. She is a

professor emerita ''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...

of astronomy and planetary science at

Northern Arizona University Northern Arizona University (NAU) is a public research university based in Flagstaff, Arizona. It was founded in 1899 as the final public university established in the Arizona Territory, 13 years before Arizona was admitted as the 48th state. ...

Education and career

Eastwood graduated

magna cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some So ...

from

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native A ...

in 1976, with a bachelor's degree in physics. She earned her Ph.D. in physics from the

University of Wyoming The University of Wyoming (UW) is a public land-grant research university in Laramie, Wyoming. It was founded in March 1886, four years before the territory was admitted as the 44th state, and opened in September 1887. The University of Wyoming ...

in 1982. Her dissertation, ''A study of star formation in NGC 6946'', was supervised by Gary Grasdalen. After working as an assistant scientist and instructor in astronomy at the

University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

from 1983 to 1987, she joined Northern Arizona University as an assistant professor of physics and astronomy in 1988, at the same time beginning her lifelong affiliation with the

Lowell Observatory Lowell Observatory is an astronomical observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. Lowell Observatory was established in 1894, placing it among the oldest observatories in the United States, and was designated a National Historic Landmark ...

as an adjunct astronomer. She was tenured as an associate professor at Northern Arizona University in 1994, and promoted to full professor in 2001. Since 1989 she has directed the National Undergraduate Research Observatory at Lowell Observatory. She also directed the Young Scholars in Astronomy program at Northern Arizona University in 1989–1990, and since 1992 has directed

Research Experiences for Undergraduates Research Experiences for Undergraduates (or REUs) are competitive summer research programs in the United States for undergraduates studying science, engineering, or mathematics. The programs are sponsored by the National Science Foundation, and a ...

summer programs in astronomy.

Recognition

Eastwood was named a

Fulbright Scholar The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people of ...

in 2006, funding her travel to the

Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory The Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) is an astronomical observatory located on Cerro Tololo in the Coquimbo Region of northern Chile, with additional facilities located on Cerro Pachón about to the southeast. It is approximately ...

in Chile. She was named a Legacy Fellow of the

American Astronomical Society The American Astronomical Society (AAS, sometimes spoken as "double-A-S") is an American society of professional astronomers and other interested individuals, headquartered in Washington, DC. The primary objective of the AAS is to promote the adv ...

in 2020.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Eastwood, Kathy DeGioia Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American astronomers American women astronomers Dartmouth College alumni University of Wyoming alumni Northern Arizona University faculty Fellows of the American Astronomical Society