Short Story:
Isabel Hawkins
As Research Astronomer and Senior Fellow in Science Education, Isabel Hawkins conducts research in astronomy/space science education, and is Director of the Center for Science Education at the UC Berkeley Space Sciences Laboratory (SSL). SSL is an organized research unit that builds and operates NASA space science satellite missions. Dr. Hawkins' primary area of astrophysics expertise is in chemical abundances of the interstellar medium. As Director of SSL's Center for Science Education, Dr. Hawkins is principal investigator of several national education initiatives, including NASA Office of Space Science's Sun-Earth Connection Education Forum (in collaboration with Goddard Space Flight Center), and Project FIRST (Fostering Reading Through Science and Technology) funded by Calspace.

Dr. Hawkins has more than 80 astrophysics and science education research publications in refereed journals, conference proceedings, conference abstract bulletins, and popular magazines. As part of SSL's teacher professional development program, Dr. Hawkins developed a Satellite Mission Operations Course for science teachers. Dr. Hawkins received her B.S. in physics with High Honors from the University of California, Riverside, where she also became a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She received her Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1986. She is a member of NASA's Office of Space Science Education Council and a former member of NASA's Space Science Advisory Committee.