Nicola Fox

Nicola J. Fox (born 1968)[1] is the Associate Administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. Appointed to the position in February 2023, she is therefore NASA's head of science. She was previously the Director of NASA's Heliophysics Science Division. Fox was the lead scientist for the Parker Solar Probe, and served as the Science and Operations Coordinator for the International Solar-Terrestrial Physics Science Initiative.

Nicola J. Fox
Born
Hitchin, Hertfordshire, England
Alma materImperial College London (BS, PhD)
University of Surrey (MS)
Known forHeliophysics
AwardsNASA Group Achievement Award ('98, '00)
Scientific career
InstitutionsApplied Physics Laboratory
Heliophysics Science Division

Early life and education

Fox was born in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, England.[1] When she was eight months old her father showed her the Apollo 11 moon landing on television.[1] He continued to encourage her love of science, explaining to her the movement of the planets and identifying stars in the night's sky.[2] She attended St. Francis' College in Letchworth Garden City, an all girls school.[1] When she arrived at college she was often the only girl in her science classes.[1]

Fox completed a bachelor's degree in physics at Imperial College London in 1990. She earned a master's degree in Telecommunications and Satellite Engineering at the University of Surrey in 1991.[2] She returned to Imperial College London for her doctoral studies, and served as the Imperial College Union's Women's Officer.[3] She completed a PhD in space and atmospheric physics at Imperial College London in 1995.[1][4] Her dissertation considered geomagnetic storms.

Fox moved to the Goddard Space Flight Center as a US National Research Council postdoctoral fellow, where she was mentored by Mario Acuña.[1][5] At Goddard, Fox worked on Sun-Earth connections.[6] Fox led outreach programs on space weather, and has continued public engagement throughout her scientific career.[7][8]

Research and career

Fox joined Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in 1998, where she remained as Science and Operations coordinator for the International Solar-Terrestrial Physics Science Initiative. Her research focuses on solar system plasma physics and data analysis. She studies the magnetopause using a range of spacecraft. She has since worked on the NASA Polar spacecraft .[9] In 2008 Fox was the Deputy Project Scientist for Living With a Star, NASA's Van Allen Probes mission.[10][11] In 2017 Fox delivered a TED talk on Touching the Sun.[12]

Fox joined the Heliophysics space research branch in 2015.[13] Fox moved to the NASA Headquarters in September 2018, when she was appointed as the Head of the Heliophysics Science Division.[1] Work in the Heliophysics Science Division considers space phenomena relating to the sun, and includes robotic missions and satellites.[14][15] She was lead Project Scientist for the Parker Solar Probe mission, and was present at the launch in August 2018.[16][17][18] The probe looks to understand the coronal heating problem and the origins of the solar wind.[19][20] The deputy director is Margaret Luce.[21] Fox was appointed the Associate Administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate on February 27, 2023, making her the organization's Head of Science.[22]

Fox has served as Associate Editor for Geophysical Research Letters and the Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics.[10] She is an expert for The Planetary Society.[23]

Awards and honours

Personal life

Fox is married with two children.[25]

References
  1. Loff, Sarah (10 May 2019). "Meet the Women in Charge of NASA's Science Divisions". NASA. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  2. Asher, J. P. "NASA mission to 'touch the Sun' launches - led by scientist from Hitchin". The Comet. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  3. "Felix" (PDF). Felix Online. 22 October 1993. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  4. "Dr. Nicola Fox, NASA - NASA Plans To Launch A Probe Next Year To 'Touch The Sun'". John Catsimatidis Official Site. 4 June 2017. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  5. Fox, Nicola (1 January 2018). "Nicola Fox". Faculty Images.
  6. "SolarNews". spd.stanford.edu. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  7. "Presentations from the Workshops". pwg.gsfc.nasa.gov. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  8. "A Visit to NASA Goddard". www.ux1.eiu.edu. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  9. Corporation, SpaceTech (11 September 2018). "Your Online Coffee Break - Podcasts that inspire, educate and entertain". Your Online Coffee Break. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  10. Zell, Holly (7 June 2013). "Presenter Bio: Nicola Fox". NASA. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  11. Mauk, B. H.; Fox, N. J.; Kanekal, S. G.; Kessel, R. L.; Sibeck, D. G.; Ukhorskiy, A. (2014), Fox, Nicola; Burch, James L. (eds.), "Science Objectives and Rationale for the Radiation Belt Storm Probes Mission", The Van Allen Probes Mission, Springer US, pp. 3–27, doi:10.1007/978-1-4899-7433-4_2, hdl:2060/20140005819, ISBN 9781489974334
  12. TEDx Talks (1 August 2017), Touching the Sun | Nicola Fox | TEDxJHU, retrieved 12 May 2019
  13. "NASA Presenters - Homestead National Monument of America (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  14. "Nicola Fox, Heliophysics Division Director | Science Mission Directorate". science.nasa.gov. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  15. Garner, Rob (23 February 2018). "Nicola Fox Takes Helm as Director of NASA's Heliophysics Division". NASA. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  16. "Nasa's Parker probe sets off on quest for closeup view of the sun". The Guardian. Associated Press. 12 August 2018. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  17. Bodkin, Henry (31 May 2017). "NASA will fly spacecraft directly into Sun in bid to unlock the secrets of solar storms". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  18. Davis, Presented by Nicola; Sanderson, produced by Max (11 June 2017). "Solar spacecraft: two missions to the sun - Science Weekly podcast". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  19. Witze, Alexandra (18 July 2018). "Death-defying NASA mission will make humanity's closest approach to the Sun". Nature. 559 (7715): 452–453. Bibcode:2018Natur.559..452W. doi:10.1038/d41586-018-05741-6. PMID 30042524.
  20. Dance, Scott. "Hopkins scientists readying mission to touch the sun". baltimoresun.com. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  21. "Heliophysics Leadership | Science Mission Directorate". science.nasa.gov. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  22. Bardan, Roxana (27 February 2023). "NASA Administrator Selects New Head of Science". NASA (Press release). Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  23. "Nicky Fox". www.planetary.org. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  24. "NASA - Presenter Bio: Nicola Fox". nasa.gov. 22 July 2008. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  25. "Nicky Fox". multiverse.ssl.berkeley.edu. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
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