ROANOKE, Va. – Roanoke native Dr. Beth Brown took her childhood passion and endless curiosity for the world around her and manifested it into a remarkable career, where she became the first Black woman to earn a Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of Michigan.
Even as a little girl, Brown was captivated by science shows and movies like Star Trek and Star Wars. Her love for the stars would only continue to deepen as time went on. But her interest in science fiction was only the surface. Brown’s curiosity went beyond the big screen, and she was eager to uncover the secrets of the universe and know the “hows” and “whys.”
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In grade school, she immersed herself in her studies, building the foundation for the path that would carry her to her dreams. The sky was the limit for Brown, who participated in science fairs and graduated as Valedictorian of her class at William Fleming High School. Yet, it was one moment in high school that changed everything. On a school trip to an observatory, she peered through a telescope and saw the Ring Nebula. She had no idea that when she looked through the telescope, that glimpse would reveal her life’s calling.
“I thought that was just so cool—to know that I was looking at something that was so unfathomable in terms of distance,” Beth said in a profile for Advancing Physics.
Her dream was to become an astronaut. "Space fascinated me. I was into anything that had to do with space," she explained. “[So] I thought that actually being out in space would be the coolest thing possible.”
In 1991, she graduated summa cum laude with an undergraduate degree in astrophysics from Howard University. Seven years later, she made history as the first African American woman to earn a doctorate in astronomy from the University of Michigan. She also created Naked Eye Astronomy, a well-known course where students with no prior experience can learn without needing a telescope. The course remains popular to this day.
"[I want others to] have a connection to the physical universe we live in,” she said previously. “Our ancestors used to depend on looking up at the night sky, but we don’t look up anymore. I want them to know there are fascinating things in the night sky and understand what they see. I want to translate my wonder of the night sky to others.”
Brown’s drive and ability to shoot for the stars were nothing short of inspiring. She joined NASA as a National Academy of Science/National Research Council Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Goddard Space Flight Center, later moving to Goddard’s National Space Science Data Center. In 2006, she received a NASA Administrator’s Fellowship and served as a visiting assistant professor at Howard University. She published numerous articles on her research on elliptical galaxies and developed educational outreach projects for NASA, including its Multiwavelength Milky Way website.
As an executive board member of the American Society of Black Physicists, Brown was passionate about helping others reach for the stars as well, ensuring that African Americans had the tools to succeed in the field.
Of all her many achievements, Brown said she was most proud of “convincing a young woman not to give up on her dreams of becoming a scientist, because someone had told her she couldn’t [do it].”
At just 39, Brown passed away unexpectedly in 2008 from a pulmonary embolism, which is said to occur when a blood clot gets stuck in an artery in the lung, blocking blood flow to part of the lung.
After her passing, her mother founded the Dr. Beth A. Brown Science Foundation to provide scholarships to graduating high school seniors pursuing degrees in astronomy or physics.
Brown’s legacy continues to shine bright in the field of astronomy. In 2012, William Fleming High School named its science and pre-engineering hall in Brown’s honor. More recently, the University of Michigan announced that its 411 West Hall has been officially dedicated as the Beth Brown Seminar. There is also a plaque installed in the front of the room to share the incredible story of her many achievements.