For 15 years, Mary Hudson has been looking at the sun -- but she never lost her vision.
Hudson, the chair of the physics and astronomy department, researches the sun and solar ejections, but she always keeps an eye on the politics here on earth. One of her favorite classes is the freshman seminar "The Politics of the Space Program."
For the past few weeks, Hudson has played a role in politics here on campus, as chair of the search committee charged with finding Dartmouth's next Dean of the Faculty, the man or woman who will replace Acting Provost James Wright.
For the past 15 years, Hudson's research on the interactions between the sun and earth's magnetic field has been sponsored by NASA.
Her work became particularly exciting in early January when the sun produced a mass ejection. "There is a direct correlation between an eruption of the sun and an increase in radiation in the environment of the earth," she said. The earth's atmosphere shields it from most solar radiation.
However, these eruptions can cause currents in the ionosphere, which affect electricity transmission, Hudson said. Quebec lost power for nine hours after the last solar ejection. Evidence also indicates a link between the coronal ejection in January and the loss of an AT&T satellite, she said.
But there are also satellites in space that can predict solar ejections. "My students and I are measuring how they get built up and what kind of effect they have on the magnetosphere," Hudson said.
Hudson's research could ultimately make it possible to warn satellites to change course before they are destroyed by a solar storm.
"As the world becomes more dependent on satellites for communication. Research on the effects of solar ejection becomes more important," she said.
"There's lots of exciting stuff coming up," she said.
Hudson is only the second person to hold the endowed Robert E. Maxwell '23 Chair in Arts and Sciences. She said the appointment is a recognition by the Dean of Faculty that gives her the opportunity to discuss her research with College President James Freedman.
In addition to the recognition of the endowed chair, Hudson said the position also gives her the opportunity to talk about her research to President of the College James Freedman.
In 1984 Hudson became the first female recipient of a major scientific award.
Hudson received her B.S. and Ph.D. from the University of California at Los Angeles. She originally intended to double major in physics and astronomy but "wound up majoring in physics."
She then went to University of California at Berkeley to conduct research funded by NASA.
Jerry Goldstein, a graduate student who works with Hudson, said she was part of the reason he attended Dartmouth.
"When I applied to Dartmouth, Mary was the person who contacted me and told me I was accepted," Goldstein said. "And I know that talking to her was one of the reasons I was so happy to come here."
"When I told Mary what I wanted to do for my research, she was 100 percent supportive," Goldstein said. "And she still is."
Goldstein said Hudson does not put too much pressure on him like some advisors at other schools.
"She lets me find my own pace in my work, which is something I appreciate a great deal," Goldstein said.
"It is totally great to work with Mary," Goldstein said. "Her knowledge of space physics is absolutely encyclopedic, especially in, but not at all limited to, her particular research area."
In addition to Hudson's wealth of knowledge, Goldstein said she treats him "like a colleague and not like an employee."
Hudson said she and her husband, who is on the faculty at the Thayer School of Engineering, "don't have much free time," but they make the best use of the time they have.
"During the summer we like to go backpacking," she said. "I would have liked to get more skiing in this winter, but that didn't happen."
Physics and Astronomy Professor John Thorstensen said Hudson "has a lot of energy and seems to have the best interest of the department at heart."
