Liz MacDonald
{{for|persons of a similar name|Elizabeth MacDonald (disambiguation)}}
{{short description|American space weather scientist}}
{{Infobox scientist
| name = Liz MacDonald
| image = Elizabeth MacDonald on The Aurora Named STEVE.jpg
| caption = MacDonald discussing the STEVE aurora in 2018
| birth_date =
| workplaces = Los Alamos National Laboratory
| alma_mater = University of New Hampshire
| known_for = Aurorasaurus
}}
Elizabeth MacDonald is a space weather scientist who works at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. She is a co-investigator on the Helium, Oxygen, Proton, and Electron Spectrometer on the NASA Radiation Belts Storm Probe mission.
Education
Elizabeth MacDonald was born in Walla Walla, Washington, to Bill and Alice MacDonald.{{Cite news|url=http://www.union-bulletin.com/local_columnists/etcetera/of-celestial-glitter-bombs-and-scientific-research/article_212bca0c-81e0-11e7-b8b5-77ff9296bcea.html|title=Of celestial 'glitter bombs' and scientific research|last=Eveland|first=Annie Charnley|work=Union Bulletin|access-date=2018-02-15|language=en}} MacDonald received a BSc in physics from the University of Washington, funded by a NASA Space Grant scholarship, in 1999.{{Cite web|url=https://science.gsfc.nasa.gov/sed/bio/elizabeth.a.macdonald|title=Bio - Dr. ELIZABETH A MACDONALD|website=science.gsfc.nasa.gov|language=en|access-date=2018-02-15}} Her mentor, Ruth Skoug, encouraged her to remain in research.{{Cite news|url=https://www.sciencefriday.com/articles/a-physicist-explains-the-shimmering-science-behind-auroras/|title=A Physicist Explains The Shimmering Science Behind Auroras - Science Friday|work=Science Friday|access-date=2018-02-15|language=en-US}} MacDonald completed her postgraduate studies at the University of New Hampshire, earning her PhD in physics in 2004.{{Cite web|url=https://www.lanl.gov/projects/iris/docs/MacDonald_CV_2012.pdf|title=Elizabeth A. MacDonald, CV, 2012|last=|first=|date=|website=LANL|access-date=2018-02-15}}
Career
MacDonald specializes in plasma mass spectrometry, and has expertise in instrument development and data analysis and interpretation.
After completing her PhD, MacDonald joined Los Alamos National Laboratory. At LANL she was the principal investigator for the Z-Plasma Spectrometer on the Department of Energy Space and Atmospheric Burst Reporting System geosynchronous payload.{{Cite web|url=http://sites.nationalacademies.org/ssb/ssb_081128|title=archive CSSP Bios Page|website=sites.nationalacademies.org|access-date=2018-02-15}} She also led the Innovative Research and Integrated Sensing team.{{Cite web|url=http://www.lanl.gov/projects/iris/lmacdonald/|title=IRIS, ISR-1|website=www.lanl.gov|access-date=2018-02-15}} She was principal investigator for the Advanced Miniaturized Plasma Spectrometer.{{Cite journal|last1=MacDonald|first1=E. A.|last2=Funsten|first2=H. O.|last3=Dors|first3=E. E.|last4=Thomsen|first4=M. F.|author-link4=Michelle Thomsen|last5=Janzen|first5=P. H.|last6=Skoug|first6=R. M.|last7=Reeves|first7=G. D.|last8=Steinberg|first8=J. T.|last9=Harper|first9=R.|date=2009-06-01|title=New Magnetospheric Ion Composition Measurement Techniques|bibcode=2009AIPC.1144..168M|journal=American Institute of Physics Conference Series|volume=1144|issue=1|pages=168–172|doi=10.1063/1.3169283}} She received the Los Alamos Awards Program recognition three times.{{Cite web|url=https://elections.agu.org/files/2016/06/SPA-SMP-EMACDONALD.pdf|title=Elizabeth MacDonald, AGU Elections|last=|first=|date=|website=American Geophysical Union|access-date=2018-02-15}}
Between 2009 and 2011 she led the Department of Energy funded Modular Advanced Space Environment Instrumentation. In 2012 she became a New Mexico Consortium-affiliated researcher, working on the prototype for the Aurorasaurus citizen science project.{{Cite web|url=https://newmexicoconsortium.org/news/dr-macdonald-s-aurora-research-featured|title=Dr. MacDonald's Aurora Research Featured|last=Talus|first=Carrie|website=newmexicoconsortium.org|language=en-gb|access-date=2018-02-15}} She has served on scientific review panels for the National Science Foundation and Los Alamos National Laboratory grants.{{Cite web|url=http://www.lanl.gov/projects/iris/|title=IRIS, ISR-1|website=www.lanl.gov|access-date=2018-02-15}} Today MacDonald works in the Goddard Space Flight Center.{{Cite web|url=http://smdepo.org/user/1070|title=SMD Education :: Profile :: Elizabeth MacDonald|website=smdepo.org|access-date=2018-02-15}}
In 2018 MacDonald and her team announced the discovery of a new aurora called Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement (STEVE).{{Cite news|url=https://www.science.org/content/article/there-s-new-aurora-subpolar-skies-its-name-steve|title=There's a new aurora in subpolar skies. Its name is Steve|date=2018-03-14|work=Science|publisher=AAAS|access-date=2018-03-15|language=en}} STEVE is farther from the poles than the aurora is typically seen.{{Cite news|url=https://www.space.com/39968-steve-aurora-mystery-explained.html|title=Meet 'Steve,' the Aurora-Like Mystery Scientists Are Beginning to Unravel|work=Space.com|access-date=2018-03-15}} The European Space Agency Swam A satellite was used to identify that the charged particles in STEVE were around 6000 °C. It was observed by Canadian aurora enthusiasts in 2015.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2018/mystery-of-purple-lights-in-sky-solved-with-help-from-citizen-scientists|title=Mystery of Purple Lights in Sky Solved With Citizen Scientists' Help|last=Garner|first=Rob|date=2018-03-14|work=NASA|access-date=2018-03-15|language=en}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/03/amateur-scientists-discover-a-new-type-of-aurora/555491/|title=Canadian Amateurs Discovered a New Type of Aurora. It's Named Steve.|last=Meyer|first=Robinson|work=The Atlantic|access-date=2018-03-15|language=en-US}} MacDonald attributes the faint purple glow to a subauroral ion drift.{{Cite news|url=https://gizmodo.com/citizen-scientists-discover-new-feature-of-the-aurora-b-1823771694|title=Citizen Scientists Discover New Feature of the Aurora Borealis|last=Mandelbaum|first=Ryan F.|work=Gizmodo|access-date=2018-03-15|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/03/steve-auroras-identified-plasma/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180315021046/https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/03/steve-auroras-identified-plasma/|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 15, 2018|title=Meet 'Steve,' a Totally New Kind of Aurora|date=2018-03-14|access-date=2018-03-15}} MacDonald published the finding in Science Advances.{{Cite journal|last1=MacDonald|first1=Elizabeth A.|last2=Donovan|first2=Eric|last3=Nishimura|first3=Yukitoshi|last4=Case|first4=Nathan A.|last5=Gillies|first5=D. Megan|last6=Gallardo-Lacourt|first6=Bea|last7=Archer|first7=William E.|last8=Spanswick|first8=Emma L.|last9=Bourassa|first9=Notanee|date=2018-03-01|title=New science in plain sight: Citizen scientists lead to the discovery of optical structure in the upper atmosphere|journal=Science Advances|language=en|volume=4|issue=3|pages=eaaq0030|doi=10.1126/sciadv.aaq0030|pmid=29546244|pmc=5851661|issn=2375-2548|bibcode=2018SciA....4...30M}} She is working with NASA to crowd source sightings of STEVE.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2018/nasa-needs-your-help-to-find-steve-and-heres-how|title=NASA Needs Your Help to Find Steve and Here's How|last=Garner|first=Rob|date=2018-03-14|work=NASA|access-date=2018-03-15|language=en}}
Awards and honors
In 2018, MacDonald was named as a Walla Walla Public Schools Graduate of Distinction as a "pioneer in citizen science initiatives and mentor for aspiring scientists of all ages".{{Cite web|url=http://www.wwps.org/news/news-events/4824-2018-graduates-of-distinction|title=Press Release for 2018 Graduates of Distinction|date=18 May 2018 }}
Public engagement
In 2016 in the journal Space Weather, MacDonald and co-workers reported that "citizen scientists are regularly able to spot auroras farther south of an area where prediction models indicated".{{Cite web|url=http://www.weatherboy.com/tag/dr-liz-macdonald/|title=Dr. Liz MacDonald Archives - Weatherboy|website=Weatherboy|language=en-US|access-date=2018-02-15}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.scienceworldreport.com/articles/36272/20160126/dr-liz-macdonald-talks-auroras-space-weather-citizen-science-project.htm|title=Dr. Liz MacDonald Talks Aurora, Space Weather, And Her Citizen-Science Project, Aurorasaurus [SCIENCE WORLD REPORT EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW]|last=Report|first=Science World|date=2016-01-26|work=Science World Report|access-date=2018-02-15|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2016/citizen-scientists-help-nasa-researchers-understand-auroras|title=Citizen Scientists Help NASA Understand Auroras|last=Garner|first=Rob|date=2016-03-07|work=NASA|access-date=2018-02-15|language=en}} MacDonald leads an interdisciplinary citizen science project called Aurorasaurus, which uses social media to predict the Northern Lights during the current solar maximum.{{Cite web|url=http://www.aurorasaurus.org/about-us|title=Aurorasaurus - Reporting Auroras from the Ground Up|website=www.aurorasaurus.org|access-date=2018-02-15}}{{Cite news|url=http://wlos.com/news/local/nasa-scientists-watch-eclipse-at-pari|title=NASA scientists watch eclipse at PARI|last=Boyer|first=Jason|work=WLOS|access-date=2018-02-15|language=en-US}}{{Cite journal|last1=MacDonald|first1=E. A.|last2=Case|first2=N. A.|last3=Clayton|first3=J. H.|last4=Hall|first4=M. K.|last5=Heavner|first5=M.|last6=Lalone|first6=N.|last7=Patel|first7=K. G.|last8=Tapia|first8=A.|date=2015-09-01|title=Aurorasaurus: A citizen science platform for viewing and reporting the aurora|journal=Space Weather|language=en|volume=13|issue=9|pages=2015SW001214|doi=10.1002/2015sw001214|issn=1542-7390|bibcode=2015SpWea..13..548M|s2cid=120926334 |url=https://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/id/eprint/75129/1/swe20250.pdf}} To fund the program, she won a $1-million INSPIRE grant from the National Science Foundation together with Andrea Tapia of Pennsylvania State University and Michelle Hall of Science Education Solutions.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1344296|title=NSF Award Search: Award#1344296 - INSPIRE Track 1: Aurorasaurus - Citizen Scientists Experiencing the Extremes of Space Weather|website=www.nsf.gov|access-date=2018-10-13}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.crowdconsortium.org/aurorasaurus/|title=Case Study: Aurorasaurus|work=Crowd Consortium|access-date=2018-02-15|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.techtimes.com/articles/139471/20160309/aurosaurus-citizens-share-real-time-aurora-observations-help-nasa-researchers-better-understand-the-phenomenon.htm|title=Aurorasaurus: Citizens Share Real-Time Aurora Observations, Help NASA Researchers Better Understand The Phenomenon|last=Depra|first=Dianne|date=2016-03-09|work=Tech Times|access-date=2018-02-15|language=en}}
After noticing a spike in tweets about an aurora borealis in October 2011, she established Aurorasaurus to track such geolocation information in order to improve forecasting, such as that done by NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center.{{Cite news|url=https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-aurora-hunters-who-spend-all-year-chasing-the-lights|title=The Aurora Hunters Who Spend All Year Chasing the Lights|date=2015-09-08|work=Atlas Obscura|access-date=2018-02-15|language=en}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/with-breathtaking-pictures-citizen-scientists-help-map-auroras-180958385/|title=With Breathtaking Pictures, Citizen Scientists Help Map Auroras|last=Daley|first=Jason|work=Smithsonian|access-date=2018-02-15|language=en}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.gi.alaska.edu/alaska-science-forum/citizen-science-meets-aurora|title=Citizen science meets the aurora {{!}} Geophysical Institute|website=www.gi.alaska.edu|language=en|access-date=2018-02-15}}
In August 2017, she spoke at the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site about the 2017 solar eclipse.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/resources/event.htm?eventID=302637CF-1DD8-B71B-0BFC4011F5E87B44|title=Event (U.S. National Park Service)|website=www.nps.gov|language=en|access-date=2018-02-15}} MacDonald regularly speaks to high school students and community groups.{{Cite news|url=http://www.blueridgenow.com/news/20170815/space-physicist-details-eclipse-for-early-college-students|title=Space physicist details eclipse for Early College students|last=Mundhenk|first=Andrew|work=Hendersonville Times|access-date=2018-02-15|language=en}}{{Cite news|url=https://blog.scistarter.com/2017/08/science-experiments-public-solar-eclipse/|title=Science Experiments for the Public during the Solar Eclipse - SciStarter Blog|date=2017-08-16|work=SciStarter Blog|access-date=2018-02-15|language=en-US}}
References
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Category:American astrophysicists
Category:American women astrophysicists
Category:American women engineers
Category:21st-century American physicists
Category:21st-century American astronomers
Category:21st-century American women scientists
Category:People from Walla Walla, Washington
Category:University of Washington College of Arts and Sciences alumni
Category:University of New Hampshire alumni