"Glaciers are the interface between land, atmosphere, and ocean.” an interview with Christopher Shuman

Christopher Shuman is on faculty at University of Maryland Baltimore County and a research scientist in the Cryospheric Sciences Lab at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Christopher has extensive work history in Greenland and in Antarctica, analyzing layers in...

"Bridging the Divide with Operation IceBridge." an interview with John Sonntag

As a mission scientist with NASA's Operation IceBridge, John Sonntag has been keeping an eye on the polar ice caps for the better part of 20 years. The good news is, he is very well-versed in the science and analysis...

"The sun is a terrifying and beautiful laboratory of which we know only a little [about]." an interview with Sabrina Savage

Sabrina Savage builds instrumentation for solar physics and studies solar flares at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. The technology she helps create delivers the most high-resolution pictures of the sun anyone has ever seen. In a society more dependent upon...

"It Was a Great Experience, Let’s Never Do This Again. " an interview with Julie Brigham-Grette, Doug Schnurrenberger and Anders Noren

Let’s say you’ve been involved in a project that has produced over 70 publications. Let’s say that project has spanned half your life. Let’s say you had to cross nations, endure tough conditions and delays, and negotiate a sometimes very...

“I realized outreach needs to be part of my scientific career. It brings me so much joy to talk to people.” An interview with Sanjoy Som

Sanjoy Som, Director of the Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, believes in the importance of space science as a common goal of humanity, regardless of country – the founding inspiration of his institute. He talks about his passion for...

"We need to figure out how to best manage the planet for all who live here." an interview with Anne Douglass

Nearing the end of her career, Anne Douglass, at NASA Godard Space Flight Center, has provided the scientific community with a better understanding of the ozone layer that protects us all from ultraviolet radiation. Anne describes the energy that it...

"It's through the science that I came to that "ah ha" moment. Climate change will affect virtually everything" an interview with Alice Hill

Alice Hill talks about her work at Stanford University's Hoover Institute on mitigating risk from natural hazards. She discusses her work in the Obama Administration running climate change programs for the Department of Homeland Security. She also worked at the...

"We weigh the ocean and then you can see how much water there is or less water." an interview with Carmen Boening

As a deputy section manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab, Carmen Boening is keenly focused on rising with the tide. The trouble is, the water level isn’t going down as the climate warms. Partly through the monitoring of a set...

"If you want to do something, don't let anyone put limitations on you." an interview with Rosaly Lopes

Rosaly Lopes is a planetary geologist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab. She discovered seventy-one new volcanoes on IO, for which she was recognized in the Guinness Book of World Records. She uses her research into the surface of other planets...

“I have to start from scratch. First, I have to unlearn and relearn.” An interview with Philips Aizebeokhai

Philips Aizebeokhai talks about the path his career has taken, turns and all. Although he started out working in the oil and gas industry, he found himself drawn to academia and the chance to be excited every day through his...

“[Better satellite monitoring] will improve our ability to bridge the gaps between the haves & have nots." interview with Ashutosh Limaye

Through his work with SERVIR, Ashutosh Limaye could be described as one of Earth’s watchdogs. The project scientist at the Marshall Space Flight Center’s job is to take NASA satellite data back down to the Earth and help people use...

"With satellite data, you can help people understand how the disaster happen in their backyard." an interview with Dalia Kirschbaum

In research, Dalia Kirschbaum literally seeks landslide victories, though in her case this entails finding disasters. The research scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center uses satellite monitoring to get clear predictions about actual landslides through satellite information. “My work...

"There were are two paths, figure out how things work or figure out to forecast things." an interview with Paul Stackhouse

Paul Stackhouse is a sun chaser, but in his case it means measuring the surface radiation budget. This means figuring out how much sunlight gets to the surface of the planet, and takes a deep understanding of factors like cloud...

“Children are curious, and we want to make sure that they can enjoy that curiosity.” An interview with Richard Alley

Richard Alley is a professor in glaciology and loves what he does. He talks about gathering ice cores from Antarctica as an undergraduate, only to return for his PhD and continue the work. He’s measured fallout from atomic bombs tests...

"The whole community came together.” an interview with Richard Stolarski

Richard Stolarski, research professor shares the journey of his involvement with the movement to address ozone depletion. He discusses how a multi-disciplinary team of scientists came together to heal the ozone layer, and how the world came together with the...

“Connecting at this conference is a blessing; people meet you for who you are and that's important.” An interview with Kristin Pratscher

Kristin Pratscher might have only recently received her Bachelor’s degree but she already has plenty of experience in her field of geology. From a field camp in Turkey to being part of the Summer of Applied Geophysical Experience (SAGE) program...

"Three Generations of Ice Cap Expertise." an interview with Sinead Farrell, Walter Meier, Ellen Buckley and Jackie Richter- Menge

What starts as a conversation about arctic change is actually an all-encompassing discussion about career growth, patience, and personal growth. Walt Meier, National Snow, and Ice Data center, introduces us to Jackie Richter-Menge, US Arctic Research Commission, who has spent...

"We are on a planet that is changing." an interview Steven Platnick

Cloud scientist Steven Platnick is trying to learn how clouds may magnify—or minimize—the effects of climate change. He first got excited about clouds when his Ph.D. advisor, who "treated us like equals," started asking questions about clouds. "He asked questions...

"Kathy vs. The Volcano" an interview with Katharine Cashman

Kathy Cashman, professor at the University of Bristol, worked on the 1980 eruption at Mount St. Helen’s in Washington, one of the first monitored volcanic eruptions in the world (“it was a ‘who’s who’ of volcanology and geology”). Thanks to...

"We're moving through a period of understanding [other] planets & how they relate to life on Earth." interview with Jim Green by Kim Cartier

Dr. Jim Green has spent 38 years of his life working at NASA. He started there with a fresh Ph.D. in Earth magnetospheric science and helped pioneer the magnetosphere research group at Marshall Space Flight Center. He spent 12 years...

“I am very proud to be in the same issue [of Time Magazine] with Marilyn Monroe on the cover.” An interview with Bernard Chovitz

Bernard Chovitz has seen it all when it comes to geodesy. From before it was an official field in the early 40s to being one of many AGU sections today, Bernard talks about how the field and science in general...

"We stand on the shoulders of giants." an interview with Alan Gorchov Negron and Colten Peterson

Alan Gorchov Negron and Colten Petersen, University of Michigan, share their stories of becoming scientists, and their hopes for their continued research and involvement in geosciences. What is the role of an earth scientist? What is the role of climate...

"It's not data science, it's just science." interview with Dawn Wright and Mark Parsons

Dawn Wright, ESRI and Mark Parsons, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, share with us their journeys into data mapping, and how the field has grown, including at AGU. Before AGU embraced mapping scientists, people were starting to leave AGU. Now, they’re back,...