Sheila E. Widnall
Encyclopedia
Sheila Marie Evans Widnall (born July 13, 1938) is an American
aerospace
researcher and Institute Professor
at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
. She served as United States Secretary of the Air Force
between 1993 and 1997, making her the first female Secretary of the Air Force and first woman to lead an entire branch of the U.S. military
in the Department of Defense
. (Secretary of Transportation Elizabeth Dole
had previously been in charge of the United States Coast Guard
, which falls under the Department of Transportation during peacetime.)
Widnall graduated from MIT with an S.B. in 1960, S.M. in 1961, and Sc.D. in 1964, all in Aeronautics
. She was appointed as the Abby Rockefeller Mauzé
Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics in 1986 and joined the Engineering Systems Division, was Chair of the Faculty 1979–1981, and has served as MIT's Associate Provost
from 1992–1993. In 1988 she was the President
of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
.
President of the United States
Bill Clinton
announced her nomination to be Secretary of the Air Force on the Fourth of July, 1993. The Senate received her nomination July 22, 1993, and confirmed her two weeks later on August 5, 1993, 183 days after inauguration
and 197 after the office became vacant. During her tenure she handled the Kelly Flinn
scandal. She was elected to the National Academy of Engineering
in 1995, serving as vice-president from 1998 to 2005
and winning their Arthur M. Bueche Award in 2009.
Widnall was a member of the board of investigation
into the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster
.
She currently works with the Lean Advancement Initiative.
, in particular the aerodynamics of high-speed vehicles, helicopters, aircraft wakes, and turbulence. One of her most notable works is on the elliptical instability mechanism with Raymond Pierrehumbert.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
aerospace
Aerospace
Aerospace comprises the atmosphere of Earth and surrounding space. Typically the term is used to refer to the industry that researches, designs, manufactures, operates, and maintains vehicles moving through air and space...
researcher and Institute Professor
Institute Professor
Institute Professor is the highest title that can be awarded to a faculty member at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States...
at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
. She served as United States Secretary of the Air Force
United States Secretary of the Air Force
The Secretary of the Air Force is the Head of the Department of the Air Force, a component organization within the Department of Defense of the United States of America. The Secretary of the Air Force is appointed from civilian life by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate...
between 1993 and 1997, making her the first female Secretary of the Air Force and first woman to lead an entire branch of the U.S. military
Military of the United States
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
in the Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
. (Secretary of Transportation Elizabeth Dole
Elizabeth Dole
Mary Elizabeth Alexander Hanford "Liddy" Dole is an American politician who served in both the Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush presidential administrations, as well as a United States Senator....
had previously been in charge of the United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
, which falls under the Department of Transportation during peacetime.)
Widnall graduated from MIT with an S.B. in 1960, S.M. in 1961, and Sc.D. in 1964, all in Aeronautics
Aeronautics
Aeronautics is the science involved with the study, design, and manufacturing of airflight-capable machines, or the techniques of operating aircraft and rocketry within the atmosphere...
. She was appointed as the Abby Rockefeller Mauzé
Abby Rockefeller Mauzé
Abigail "Abby" Rockefeller Mauzé was the first child and only daughter of John Davison Rockefeller, Jr. and Abigail "Abby" Greene Aldrich Rockefeller...
Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics in 1986 and joined the Engineering Systems Division, was Chair of the Faculty 1979–1981, and has served as MIT's Associate Provost
Provost (education)
A provost is the senior academic administrator at many institutions of higher education in the United States, Canada and Australia, the equivalent of a pro-vice-chancellor at some institutions in the United Kingdom and Ireland....
from 1992–1993. In 1988 she was the President
President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science , founded in 1848, is the world's largest general scientific society. It serves 262 affiliated societies and academies of science and engineering, representing 10 million individuals worldwide...
of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting scientific education and science outreach for the...
.
President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
announced her nomination to be Secretary of the Air Force on the Fourth of July, 1993. The Senate received her nomination July 22, 1993, and confirmed her two weeks later on August 5, 1993, 183 days after inauguration
Inauguration
An inauguration is a formal ceremony to mark the beginning of a leader's term of office. An example is the ceremony in which the President of the United States officially takes the oath of office....
and 197 after the office became vacant. During her tenure she handled the Kelly Flinn
Kelly Flinn
The Kelly Flinn incident refers to disciplinary action taken against Kelly Flinn , sometimes referred to as Kelly Flynn, by the United States Air Force in 1997. Flinn was the first female B-52 pilot in the USAF. Flinn was discharged from the U.S. Air Force in 1997 after being charged with making...
scandal. She was elected to the National Academy of Engineering
National Academy of Engineering
The National Academy of Engineering is a government-created non-profit institution in the United States, that was founded in 1964 under the same congressional act that led to the founding of the National Academy of Sciences...
in 1995, serving as vice-president from 1998 to 2005
and winning their Arthur M. Bueche Award in 2009.
Widnall was a member of the board of investigation
Columbia Accident Investigation Board
The Columbia Accident Investigation Board was convened by NASA to investigate the destruction of the Space Shuttle Columbia during STS-107 upon atmospheric re-entry on February 1, 2003. In addition to determining the cause of the accident, the panel also recommended changes that should be made...
into the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster
Space Shuttle Columbia disaster
The Space Shuttle Columbia disaster occurred on February 1, 2003, when shortly before it was scheduled to conclude its 28th mission, STS-107, the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated over Texas and Louisiana during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, resulting in the death of all seven crew members...
.
She currently works with the Lean Advancement Initiative.
Research
Widnall's research has been focused on Fluid mechanicsFluid mechanics
Fluid mechanics is the study of fluids and the forces on them. Fluid mechanics can be divided into fluid statics, the study of fluids at rest; fluid kinematics, the study of fluids in motion; and fluid dynamics, the study of the effect of forces on fluid motion...
, in particular the aerodynamics of high-speed vehicles, helicopters, aircraft wakes, and turbulence. One of her most notable works is on the elliptical instability mechanism with Raymond Pierrehumbert.
Writings
- "Science and the Atari Generation." Science (August 12, 1983): 607.
- "AAAS Presidential Lecture: Voices from the Pipeline." Science (September 30, 1988): 1740-1745.
Further reading
- "Widnall of MIT Is New President-elect Of AAAS." Physics Today (February 1986), p. 69.
- Biography, "Dr. Sheila E. Widnall." Office of the Secretary of the Air Force/Public Affairs, November 1993.
- Dr. Sheila E. Widnall, "
- Air Force Times, August 2, 1993, p. 4.
- Sears, William R., "Sheila E. Widnall: President-Elect of AAAS," in Association Affairs, June 6, 1986, pp. 1119–1200.
- Stone, Steve, "Air Force Secretary Salutes Female Aviators," in Norfolk Virginian-Pilot, October 10, 1993, p. B3.
- "USAF Head Approved," in Aviation Week & Space Technology, August 9, 1993, p. 26.
- Biography, Dr. Sheila E. Widnall, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force/Public Affairs, November 1993.
- Ewing, Lee, Air Force Times, Panelists Laud Widnall, Approve Her Nomination, August 2, 1993, p. 4.
- Stone, Steve, Aviation Week & Space Technology, USAF Head Approved, August 9, 1993, p. 26.
- Stone, Steve, Physics Today, Widnall of MIT Is New President-elect Of AAAS, February 1986, p. 69.
- Biography, Dr. Sheila E. Widnall, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force/Public Affairs, November 1993.
- NatureNature (journal)Nature, first published on 4 November 1869, is ranked the world's most cited interdisciplinary scientific journal by the Science Edition of the 2010 Journal Citation Reports...
Q&A with Sheila Widnall