▁a ▁special ist ▁on ▁arch ae o astr onomy , ▁and ▁director ▁of ▁V ass ar ▁Observ atory . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁and ▁education ▁Ma ud ▁Lav on ▁Wor c ester ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 1 ▁in ▁Center ▁Har bor , ▁New ▁Ham pshire . ▁She ▁attended ▁Girls ' ▁Latin ▁School ▁in ▁Boston . ▁She ▁briefly ▁attended ▁Rad cl iffe ▁College , ▁but ▁left ▁to ▁teach ▁school . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 1 , ▁her ▁family ▁moved ▁to ▁Pas ad ena , ▁California . ▁She ▁was ▁working ▁as ▁a ▁journalist ▁in ▁Bis be e , ▁Arizona ▁when ▁she ▁took ▁an ▁interest ▁in ▁astronom y . ▁ ▁She ▁returned ▁to ▁California ▁and ▁taught ▁school ▁while ▁taking ▁correspond ence ▁courses ▁and ▁summer ▁classes ▁to ▁qual ify ▁for ▁ad mission ▁to ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁California . ▁ ▁She ▁earned ▁a ▁b ach elor ' s ▁degree ▁from ▁U CLA ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 5 , ▁followed ▁by ▁a ▁Ph D ▁from ▁University ▁of ▁California ▁at ▁Ber keley ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 0 . ▁Her ▁doctor al ▁work ▁involved ▁calculating ▁the ▁or bits ▁of ▁astero ids . ▁ ▁Career ▁Ma ud ▁Wor c ester ▁Mak em son ▁joined ▁the ▁V ass ar ▁College ▁fac ulty ▁as ▁an ▁assistant ▁astronom y ▁professor ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 2 ; ▁she ▁became ▁a ▁full ▁professor ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 4 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 6 , ▁she ▁succeeded ▁Caroline ▁F urn ess ▁as ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁V ass ar