Bio:

Since retiring from the General Electric Company, Mr. Brown has been preparing for a career in science writing with a major interest in astronomy. To do so he has audited graduate level courses in astronomy, science writing and feature article writing at the University of Maryland. He has been a contributor to the Deep Impact Newsletter.

Before retiring, Mr. Brown was a software engineer. In performing constructive reviews of plans for large/medium scale information systems, he provided alternative designs as solutions to problems. Leading up to these activities he did original design work on information systems by writing specifications for collections of computer programs. Early in his career Mr. Brown programmed parts of one of the first global, interactive, time-sharing computer systems.

Mr. Brown has worked on a wide variety of computer applications including the ground data processing system for the LANDSAT earth observation satellite, an over-the-horizon radar system, two undersea warfare systems, two systems relating to national security and many others.

In addition to writing specifications, Mr. Brown has contributed to recommendations for the means of distributing cancer research information for the National Cancer Institute and, for the U.S. Navy, a handbook on developing computer-based information systems. He has contributed to many contract proposals.

Management experience includes proposing, organizing and managing three first-level programming groups for the General Electric Co. and serving as a Deputy Associate Director at the National Library of Medicine.

He holds a Master of Arts degree from Pennsylvania State University with a concentration in mathematics. His undergraduate studies included several courses in physics.