Credit: Kristen Devlin Blair Porterfield, a Penn State astronomy major, studies the light emitted by star clusters. To see an example of an image made by Porterfield, click on the photo above.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. When Blair Porterfield outgrew her local summer-camp options at age 14, her father suggested an astronomy camp at the University of Arizona. "I'm not sure why he wanted me to go," Porterfield mused. "I hadn't been interested in science at all up until that point." In a case of "father knows best," astronomy camp couldn't have been a more perfect choice. "After the first camp, I was absolutely hooked," Porterfield said. "As soon as I got back home, I knew I wanted to be an astronomer. I knew what I wanted to do with my life." She returned to the camp three more times, and each time her love for astronomy grew stronger.
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