George Wallerstein
George Wallerstein is a United States astronomer who researches the chemical composition of stellar atmospheres. The son of German immigrants, he was raised in New York City during the Great Depression. In school he developed an interest in boxing and won the senior class boxing award. He graduated from Brown University in 1951 before receiving his M.S. and Ph.D. from the California Institute of Technology. He served in the navy during the Korean War, then, after teaching at the University of California, joined the astronomy department of the University of Washington in 1965. In March 1998, he retired from the University and was appointed Professor Emeritus. He is married to the astronomer Julie Lutz.
In 2002 he won the Henry Norris Russell Lectureship. In 2004, he was presented the President's Award by the United Negro College Fund for his contributions to diversity. He has served on the Board of Directors
for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and the National Advisory Board of the , the research arm of Council for a Livable World.
