Embedded Files
Dr. Charity Woodrum is a NASA Postdoctoral Fellow at Goddard Space Flight Center with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) team. She earned her PhD as a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow at the University of Arizona's Steward Observatory. She earned her B.S. in Physics at the University of Oregon. Her research investigates the formation and evolution of galaxies across cosmic time.
Dr. Woodrum is the subject of an award-winning independent documentary titled “Space, Hope and Charity.” It follows her resilient journey, from childhood poverty in rural Oregon, through devastating personal tragedy, to accomplishing her lifelong dream of working at NASA. In her free time, Charity enjoys hiking, reading, and flying as a private pilot.
Education
2018-2024
University of Arizona
Ph.D. in Astronomy & Astrophysics
2018-2021
University of Arizona
M.S. in Astronomy & Astrophysics
2014-2018
University of Oregon
B.S. in Physics
2006-2009
Umpqua Community College
A.A.S. in Nursing (RN)
CV
Research Interests
Extragalactic astronomy
Galaxy formation and evolution
Galaxy quenching
Galaxy star formation and chemical enrichment histories
Active Galactic Nuclei
The field of galaxy evolution seeks to understand how galaxies form and evolve across cosmic time. Some of the most fundamental questions remain unknown, for example, how do star-forming galaxies grow in stellar mass? And why do quiescent galaxies stop forming stars (quench)? Charity's research investigates what drives this stellar mass growth and galaxy quenching. To do so, she uses the observations of galaxies, with both ground-based and space-based telescopes, to study their star formation and chemical enrichment histories.
About the Film
Space, Hope and Charity is an award-winning, independent documentary film directed by Sandy Cummings. The film follows the journey of Charity, who experiences poverty and then tragedy while chasing her dream of becoming an astrophysicist. After losing everything, Charity gets her life and her dream back on track with help from childhood friends, mentors, and complete strangers. The film is a story of love and loss, and of finding purpose and joy again after devastating tragedy.
Woven through the film are themes of women in STEM, overcoming barriers to education, the importance of mentorship, and the lifesaving power of human connection.
Woody's Stars
After losing her son Woody, Charity dreamed of honoring him by starting a fund in his name.
The Woody’s Stars Fund of The Oregon Community Foundation supports college students pursuing STEM degrees, especially those that have encountered barriers in their education. Woody's Stars offers financial support (up to $10k total per student), mentorship, professional development, and experiential learning opportunities.
This fund would not be possible without the support of Sandy Cummings (director of Space, Hope and Charity), Kathy Deggendorfer (founder of the Roundhouse Foundation), and Dr. Scott Fisher.
You can be part of Woody's Stars by clicking "donate" below.
Selected Podcasts
RADIOLAB
Gracie Award winner for Best Interview Feature
Physics World
Oregon Public Broadcasting
Selected TV Appearances
Selected Press
Following the Stars: Where Charity Woodrum Is Now
Selection of JWST Photos
Science Outreach
Charity is available as a public speaker or to collaborate on educational projects. Below are a few examples of events where she has engaged with the public as a scientist.
Keynote speaker for many conferences and events
JWST Expert for many different events, including appearing LIVE on National TV
Tour Guide of the Night Sky at
For Fun
In her free time, Charity earned her Private Pilot license and plans to continue flight training to acquire more certifications
With the Piper Cherokee after first solo flight
In the cockpit after first solo cross-country flight
Google Sites
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