Leila Belkora

I’m a science writer and the author of “Minding the Heavens: The Story of Our Discovery of the Milky Way,” now in a completely updated second edition. I’ve also written many freelance articles, and have a new book in preparation.

I’ve previously taught physics, astronomy, and communication for engineers at the undergraduate university level. I’ve worked as an editor and Public Information Officer at Fermilab and at the University of Illinois at Chicago. I’ve done some freelance editing and a lot of exam grading. I volunteer as a science fair judge and I’m an astronomy outreach enthusiast.

I was born in the U.S. but grew up in Switzerland, and have family in Morocco. I speak English, French, and a little German.

I graduated from the International School of Geneva with an I.B. diploma. I have a B.A. in physics and M. Eng. in engineering physics from Cornell, and a Ph.D. in astrophysics from the University of Colorado Boulder. I’ve worked for both UIC (University of Illinois-Chicago) and UCI (University of California-Irvine), and am forever getting those acronyms mixed up.

I live in Irvine, California, with my husband. We have one daughter.