Shadia Habbal specializes in the study of the origin and evolution of the solar wind, the stream of protons, electrons, alpha particles, and traces of ionized heavier elements that flows outward from the Sun. The solar wind shapes the tails of comets, creates the auroras seen near Earth’s polar regions, and alters the magnetic environments of planets in the solar system. She also studies the enigmatic solar magnetic field, which seems to be responsible for many things, including extremely high energy phenomena such as solar flares. She receives major research grants from the National Science Foundation and NASA to pursue the study of the solar corona which can only be seen from Earth during a total solar eclipse. She has been doing total solar eclipse (TSE) research for the past 15 years. She is the P.I. of her research group, called the Solar Wind Sherpas.

Activities

• Editor, Journal of Geophysical Research - Space Physics 2001-2005
• Team Lead, Solar Wind Sherpas, 1995-current

Grants

• NSF grants AGS-1144913 and AGS-1255894
• NASA grant NNX13AG11G

Honors

• Pioneer, Arab Thought Foundation, December 2004
• Certificate of Guest Professor from the University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, September 4, 2001
• NASA Group Achievement Award, Spartan 201 white Light Coronagraph Team, Washington DC, August 14, 2000
• Adventurous Women Lecture Series Award, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics Women\'s Program Committee, June 8, 1998
• Certificate of Appreciation for outstanding service and support - Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, December 19, 1997
• Certificate of Appreciation for outstanding service -National Research Council, Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, 1996
• Certificate of Award in recognition of special achievement reflecting a high standard of accomplishment, Smithsonian Institution, July 25, 1993