TEACHING EXPERIENCE
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, GRCC
2016 - Current
I am a tenured assistant professor in the physical sciences department. I teach several sections each semester of two or more of the following courses:
AS 102: Introductory Astronomy (non-lab science General Education)
AS 103: Descriptive Astronomy (lab science General Education)
PH 125: College Physics I (algebra-based physics, mechanics)
PH 126: College Physics II (algebra-based physics, electricity & magnetism)
I also act as the Open Educational Resources Coordinator for GRCC.
TUTOR, CAMBRIDGE COACHING
2013 - 2016
I served as a tutor for college students and high school students. Some details are presented below:
Subject areas: physics, mathematics, astronomy, and geophysics
In-person and online tutoring for college students
After-school program BUILD in Boston for at-risk high school students
TEACHING FELLOW, HARVARD UNIVERSITY
2012 - 2015
While in graduate school, I led discussion sections as part of the teaching team for the following courses:
SPU 19: Science of the Physical Universe (Dr. Robert Kirshner) - I was a teaching fellow in Spring 2012 and Head Teaching Fellow in Spring 2015.
AS 16: Stellar and Planetary Astronomy (Dr. David Charbonneau) - I led discussion section and the labs for my sections of students using telescopes on campus in Spring 2013. I won a Bok Center teaching award for this semester.
MENTOR-SCIENTIST, SCIENCE CLUB FOR GIRLS
2012 - 2014
During graduate school, I volunteered for an after-school program that connected scientists with elementary-school students. This program, Science Club for Girls, worked to promote science learning in women and underrepresented minorities. I supervised middle school students who acted as assistants. I covered the following curricula provided by the Science Club for Girls program: Rescue By Design (4th Grade), Archaeology (5th), Blast Off (5th), and Astronomy (5th).
TEACHING ASSISTANT, UMD-CP
2009 - 2010
I was a teaching assistant for two semesters for ASTR 100: Introduction to Astronomy. I led three discussion sections total in that time. I do not have access to these evaluations, but I do have this student email: I just wanted to take an opportunity to say that Lauren has done a truly amazing job in being a TA. Her comprehensive coverage of the material and explanation really stood out in my 3 years here as a student.
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
2011 - 2016
RESEARCH FELLOW,
HARVARD-SMITHSONIAN CENTER FOR ASTROPHYSICS
I worked on computer programming and analysis of turbulence models of the solar wind. With my adviser, Dr. Steven Cranmer (now at University of Colorado, Boulder), we studied how magnetic field geometries affect the bulk solar wind properties. See below for publications related to this work.
2008 - 2011
RESEARCH ASSISTANT,
NASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER
Both part-time during semesters and full-time internships during the summer, I worked in the Planetary Geodynamics Lab under the mentorship of Dr. Herbert V. Frey. We focused on the topological data for regions of Mars and the Moon to determine cratering rates and surface age and impact history.
Summer 2010
SUMMER INTERN,
SMITHSONIAN ASTROPHYSICAL OBSERVATORY
Through the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program, I worked for ten weeks with Dr. Leonard Strachan on comparing solar wind models with observations from the SOlar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) Ultraviolet Coronagraph Spectrometer to determine properties of the solar corona.
Summer 2008
STUDENT RESEARCHER,
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND COLLEGE PARK
In a team with graduate students and led by Dr. Daniel Kirk-Davidoff, I was in charge of updating and formatting the existing educational website focused on teaching the public about the Messinian Salinity Crisis. I used existing resources built by the research team to make the information accessible and interesting. I also researched some background material to use in adding content to the site.
FIRST-AUTHOR PUBLICATIONS
OPEN EDUCATION: ASTRONOMY LECTURE SLIDES AND RECORDED VIDEO
L. N. Woolsey. ASP Conference Series, Vol. 531 (2021), Link to Proceedings
MAGNETIC INFLUENCES ON THE SOLAR WIND
L. N. Woolsey. Harvard Dissertation (2016), arxiv:1605.04318 and available on Zenodo
TIME-DEPENDENT TURBULENT HEATING OF OPEN FLUX TUBES IN THE CHROMOSPHERE, CORONA, AND SOLAR WIND
L. N. Woolsey & S. R. Cranmer. ApJ 811, 134 (2015), arxiv:1509.00377
AN ESSAY ON INTERACTIVE INVESTIGATIONS OF THE ZEEMAN EFFECT IN THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM
L. N. Woolsey. JAESE 2, 1 (2015), arxiv: 1506.00932, see also this Wolfram Demonstrations Project
SOLAR WIND MODELING: A COMPUTATIONAL TOOL FOR THE CLASSROOM
L. N. Woolsey. JRAEO 3, (2015), arxiv:1505.00727
TURBULENCE-DRIVEN CORONAL HEATING AND IMPROVEMENTS TO EMPIRICAL FORECASTING OF THE SOLAR WIND
L. N. Woolsey & S. R. Cranmer ApJ 787, 160 (2014), arxiv:1404.5998, see also the TEMPEST code on GitHub
CRATER RETENTION AGES INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE PROPOSED DICHOTOMY-FORMING BOREALIS (MEGA-) BASIN
L. N. Woolsey & H. V. Frey. Scientific Terrapin 2, 1 (2010)
LOCAL MEDIA INTERVIEWS
Science communication about current events in my role as a scientist and GRCC professor
March 12, 2018: Video interview on Fox 17 local news channel about Chinese space station Tiangong-1 re-entry
February 19, 2019: Video interview on WoodTV about "Fall in Love with STEM" outreach event at GRCC
March 20, 2019: Video interview on WZZM 13 local news channel debunking common Spring Equinox myths
May 15, 2019: Video interview on WZZM 13 about helium and the threat of a global helium shortage
SELECTED TALKS
The list below highlighting some of my science communication includes conference talks, colloquia, guest lectures, and public talks.
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS, OPEN ED
Various, 2020-2023
Open Education Conference (https://openeducationconference.org/)
November 2023: "Reflecting on the Experience of Creating and Participating in a Learning Circle on Open Pedagogy" Panel
November 2020: "Creating Open Resources: An Example" Lightning Talk (link to recording)
PUBLIC TALKS, GRAAA
Various, 2020-2022
Grand Rapids Amateur Astronomical Association (https://www.graaa.org/)
October 2022: "There is No Plan(et) B: Comparing Planets Near and Far" (link to video of talk, in person)
September 2021: "The Distance Ladder: Climbing to the Heavens" (on Zoom)
September 2020: "Unlocking the Sun: Spectroscopy in the 1800s" (link to video of talk, on Zoom)
POJE BANQUET KEYNOTE SPEAKER
April 2019
"Star Stuff: Fusion, Fission, and the Periodic Table." This talk was the keynote at a banquet to celebrate student success and club activities for several departments across Aquinas College.
GRCC SCIENCE TALK
September 2018
"Unlocking the Sun: Spectroscopy in the 1800s" (link to video of talk). Other instances of this talk: Tri-Valley Stargazers (March 2023), GRAAA (September 2020), Kalamazoo Astronomical Society (April 2019), and Aquinas College Chemistry department (October 2017).
PUBLIC TALKS, SENIOR CENTERS
Various, 2013-2018
In Grand Rapids, MI, I gave an astronomy public talk at Samaritas Senior Living in March 2018. Previously in Cambridge, MA, I presented on astronomy topics at Citywide Senior Center three times between 2013-2014.
CONFERENCE TALK, AAS 227
January 2016
"Magnetic Influences on the Solar Wind." This talk at the 227th Meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) was one of several similar talks during my final months before defending my dissertation on this subject. I also gave a talk at the 224th AAS Meeting in June 2014.
MAINE STATE STAR PARTY
August 2015
"The Sun, Our Star." I was one of three guest speakers at the 10th annual meeting of the Maine State Star Party.
GUEST LECTURE
April 2015
Science of the Physical Universe: The Energetic Universe. As the head teaching fellow, I gave a full guest lecture to 100+ students on Cepheid Variables, Hubble's Law, and the Distance Ladder when the course head, Dr. Robert Kirshner, was out of town on business.
SHINE STUDENT DAY TUTORIALS
June 2013, June 2014
"Space Weather: Modeling and Forecasting" (2014) and "Introduction to the Solar Wind" (2013). For the Solar, Heliospheric, and INterplanetary Environment (SHINE) conference, there is a student day. Upper-level graduate students give tutorial talks to lower-level graduate students on selected topics. In 2014, I earned the "best student tutorial" award.
CONFERENCE TALK, AGU
December 2013
"Turbulent Heating and Wave Pressure in Solar Wind Acceleration Modeling: New Insights to Empirical Forecasting of the Solar Wind." SH43A-03 at the Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU).
RESEARCH INTERNSHIP PRESENTATION
August 2010
"Empirical Testing of Solar Coronal and Solar Wind Models." This talk was the culminating presentation at the end of a ten-week program through the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) to present the research I had completed during my summer project.
HONORS AND SOCIETIES
Professional Organizations
American Astronomical Society (2010 - Present)
Association for Women in Science (2012 - Present)
Association of Physics Teachers (2019 - Present)
American Geophysical Union (2012 - 2016)
Fellowships and Grants
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (2014 - 2016)
National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Research Fellowship (2013)
Honor Societies
Phi Beta Kappa (inducted 2011)
Phi Kappa Phi (inducted 2010)
Society of Physics Students (inducted 2010)
National German Honor Society (inducted 2009)