View source for Biography:Donald E. Brownlee

{{Short description|American astronomer (born 1943)}}
{{Infobox scientist
| name                    = Donald Eugene Brownlee
| image                   =
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| caption                 =
| birth_date              = {{birth date and age|1943|December|21}}
| birth_place             = Las Vegas, Nevada, {{wipe|United States}}
| death_date              = 
| death_place             =
| citizenship             = American
| nationality             = American
| field                   = Astrobiology, Astronomy
| work_institution        = University of Washington at Seattle
| alma_mater              = [[Organization:University of California, Berkeley|University of California, Berkeley]]
| doctoral_advisor        =
| doctoral_students       =
| known_for               = co-originator of the term ''Rare Earth''
| author_abbreviation_bot =
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| prizes                  = J. Lawrence Smith Medal, Leonard Medal, NASA Medal for Exceptional Scientific Achievement
| footnotes               =
}}
'''Donald Eugene Brownlee''' (born December 21, 1943) is a professor of [[Astronomy:Astronomy|astronomy]] at the University of Washington at Seattle and the principal investigator for [[Organization:NASA|NASA]]'s [[Engineering:Stardust (spacecraft)|Stardust]] mission.<ref>[http://stardust.jpl.nasa.gov/news/bio_dbrownlee.html Stardust | JPL | NASA<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> In 2000, along with his co-author [[Biography:Peter Ward (paleontologist)|Peter Ward]], he co-originated the term ''Rare Earth,'' in reference to the possible scarcity of life elsewhere in the universe.<ref name=Williams2020-07-29-01a>{{cite web|url=https://www.gazzetta.it/Giroditalia/2014/download/Regolamento_Ing.pdf/|author=Matt Williams|publisher=Universe Today|title=Beyond "Fermi's Paradox" IV: What is the Rare Earth Hypothesis?|date=29 July 2020|accessdate=6 June 2021|quote=Origins: The term “Rare Earth” takes its name from the book Rare Earth: Why Complex Life Is Uncommon in the Universe (2000), by Peter Ward and Donald E. Brownlee ... As the authors describe it, the Rare Earth argument comes down to two central hypotheses ... making Earth a very special place}}</ref> His primary research interests include astrobiology, comets, and cosmic dust.<ref>{{YouTube|id=55-ZHvMjplc&feature=youtu.be&t=3m9s|title=The Universe - Spaceship Earth}}</ref> He was born in Las Vegas, Nevada.<ref>{{Cite book|url=|title =Brownlee, Donald E(ugene) 1943-|publisher=Contemporary Authors|date=January 1, 2005 |isbn=}}</ref>

==Education and employment==
Brownlee studied electrical engineering at [[Organization:University of California, Berkeley|University of California, Berkeley]], prior to attending graduate school at the [[Organization:University of Washington|University of Washington]].  Brownlee received his doctorate in astronomy from the University of Washington in 1971,<ref>[http://www.astro.washington.edu University of Washington Astronomy Department<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> joining the astronomy department as faculty in 1975.  He has also conducted research as a distinguished visiting professor at the [[Organization:Enrico Fermi Institute|Enrico Fermi Institute]] at the [[Organization:University of Chicago|University of Chicago]]. Alongside paleontologist [[Biography:Peter Ward (paleontologist)|Peter Ward]], Brownlee is the coauthor of two books, ''Rare Earth: Why Complex Life is Uncommon in the Universe'' (which put forth the Rare Earth Hypothesis)<ref name=Williams2020-07-29-01a/> and ''The Life and Death of Planet Earth'', with his third book ''The Sixth Element: How Carbon Shapes Our World'' being co-authored with Theodore P. Snow.

==Honors==
[[Astronomy:3259 Brownlee|Asteroid 3259]] was named after Brownlee in 1991.<ref>{{cite report | title = University of Washington Astronomy Department 1990-91 Faculty Research Report | url = http://adsabs.harvard.edu/pdf/1992BAAS...24..641M| date = 1990–1991 | access-date = 11 April 2021}}</ref>  The [[Organization:International Mineralogical Association|International Mineralogical Association]] has also named a new [[Earth:Mineral|mineral]] in honor of Donald Brownlee.  This new [[Chemistry:Silicide|silicide]] mineral (with [[Chemistry:Chemical formula|chemical formula]] MnSi) is now called [[Chemistry:Brownleeite|brownleeite]], and is the first mineral found from a comet.<ref>[https://www.washington.edu/news/2008/06/26/like-a-rock-new-mineral-named-for-uw-astronomer-2/ | Like a rock: New mineral named for UW astronomer | University of Washington News and Information] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080708124515/http://uwnews.org/article.asp?articleID=42455 |date=2008-07-08 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title =News: In Brief |last=Showstack |first=Randy |date=2008-06-24 |work=Eos Archives |volume=89 |issue=26 |page=235 |doi=10.1029/2008EO260004 |doi-access=free}}</ref> He has been awarded the J. Lawrence Smith Medal<ref>{{cite web | title = J. Lawrence Smith Medal Recipients | url = http://www.nasonline.org/programs/awards/j-lawrence-smith-medal.html | date = 1994 | access-date = 11 April 2021}}</ref> from the National Academy of Sciences, the Leonard Medal from the [[Organization:Meteoritical Society|Meteoritical Society]], and the NASA Medal for Exceptional Scientific Achievement in 2007. He was elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences in 1995<ref>{{cite web|title=Donald E. Brownlee|website=Member Directory, National Academy of Sciences|url=http://www.nasonline.org/member-directory/members/57301.html}}</ref> and in 1999 a fellow of the [[Organization:American Geophysical Union|American Geophysical Union]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Union Fellows, search|website=American Geophysical Union|url=https://www.agu.org/Honor-and-Recognize//Honors/Union-Fellows#4}}</ref>

==References==
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[[Category:Astrobiologists]]

{{Sourceattribution|Donald E. Brownlee}}