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.”
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…