Susan Niebur
American planetary scientist
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Susan Niebur (1973–2012) was an American planetary scientist, promoter of women in science, and mommyblogger.[1][2]
Life
Nieber graduated in 1995 from Georgia Tech with a bachelor's degree in physics.[3] She earned a Ph.D. in 2001 at Washington University in St. Louis, joined NASA as an intern in 2001, and became a scientist in the NASA Discovery Program in 2003. She left NASA to become a consultant in 2006.[1]
She was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer in 2007,[4] and died of it on February 6, 2012.[5]
Contributions
While still a student, Niebur founded the Forum on Graduate Student Affairs of the American Physical Society and the National Doctoral Program Survey, and was president of the National Association of Graduate-Professional Students. At NASA, she founded the Early Career Fellowships and Workshops for Planetary Scientists. She began her "Women in Planetary Science" blog in 2008,[1] and also wrote a widely-read mommyblog, "Toddler Planet".[5][6]
Recognition
Niebur was given the Masursky Award of the American Astronomical Society, for outstanding service to planetary science and exploration, posthumously in 2012.[7]
Asteroid 113394 Niebur is named for Niebur.[8] An annual meeting for women in planetary science, the Susan Niebur Women in Planetary Science Networking Event, is also named after her.[9]