Kathy Prestridge of Hydrodynamic Applications (DX-3) is the winner of the 2000 Postdoctoral Publication Prize in Experimental Sciences. The prize, jointly sponsored by Damon Giovanielli and the Laboratory, is awarded every other year for the best article in experimental sciences.
Now a Laboratory staff member, Prestridge was recognized for her paper "Validation of an instability growth model using particle image velocimetry measurements," published in the May 8, 2000 issue of Physical Review Letters. This article is the first high-speed fluid dynamics paper to include a detailed comparison among a model, traditional (density-field) measurements, and state-of-the-art velocity-field measurements.
Prestridge's paper represents a new generation of research in an essential field of fluid dynamics. Prestridge received her bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering from Princeton University and doctorate in engineering sciences from the University of California at San Diego.