Bachelor of science in aerospace engineering from U.S. Naval Academy, 1985; master of science in aeronautical engineering and degree of aeronautical and astronautical engineer from U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, 1992; Captain, USN; test pilot; hobbies: Bicycling, running, skeet, sailing, gourmet cooking, rubber stamps, crossword puzzles, piano; she was charged on February 05, 2007 by the Orlando / Florida police with trying to abduct Colleen Shipman, an engineer assigned to the 45th Launch Support Squadron at Patrick Air Force, she saw as her romantic rival in a love triangle with fellow astronaut William Oefelein; for that she was sentenced Nowak to a year of supervised probation. She was also sentenced to two days of jail, which she's already served, community service and ordered to take an eight-hour anger management class.The judge said Nowak must have no contact with Shipman or Oefelein, other than a letter of apology she was ordered to write to Shipman within 10 days.