Jacqueline K. (Jackie) Faherty is an American astronomer specializing in infrared astronomy and the observation of nearby stars and brown dwarfs, and known for her public outreach in space science.
[2] She entered college intending to major in business, but switched to physics after being inspired by the movie Contact and by Jodie Foster's role in it as a space scientist.
Her thesis advisors were Adam Burgasser of the University of California, San Diego, Michael Shara of the American Museum of Natural History, and Frederick M. Walter of Stony Brook.
[2] The American Astronomical Society (AAS) gave Faherty their 2020 Vera Rubin Early Career Award, "in recognition of Dr. Faherty’s work on the kinematics of very faint stars in the Milky Way as well as her leadership in developing unique ways to engage the public and professional science teams with ... the precise measurement of celestial objects’ positions and motions on the sky".
[4] Faherty was elected to the 2022 class of AAS Fellows, "for outstanding accomplishments in the study of brown dwarfs and directly imaged exoplanets; a dedication to public outreach; and service as an advocate, role model, and mentor to astronomers from underrepresented groups".