“Be willing to challenge the rules.” An interview with Brent Holben

With over thirty-years of experience in aerosol research as a Project Leader on NASA’s AERONET program, retired NASA scientist Brent Holben knows his way around those finer details. Now three-months into his retirement, Brent walks us through his adventurous world-trotting...

"At an early age, I was exposed to all things NASA." An interview with Christina Lim.

Christina Lim is an Experiment Support Scientist with the Cell Science Project and the Biospecimen Sharing Program at Paragon-Tech, who work with NASA Ames. She is also a passionate science communicator and has worked in public outreach and education. In...

"Dealing with science, it's like having a detective job." An interview with Meloe Kacenelenbogen.

In this interview, Dr. Meloe S. Kacenelenbogen discusses her expertise in ‘aerosols,’ suspended particles in the atmosphere. These small particulates can affect air quality and human health and can also impact the Earth’s radiation balance. We also discuss why she...

Sandy Macfarlane and Trish Morse

Sandy Macfarlane and Trish Morse discuss being firsts (female shellfish biologist in Massachusetts and female Ph.D. from Woods Hole, respectively) and meeting for the first time through the New England Estuarine Research Society.

How My Work and Education Has Shaped Me

In this interview, conducted in November of 2017 in Chicago, Illinois, Keyla Garcia (17) interviews her mother Karla Franco (45) about her experiences growing up in relation to school and work. Ms. Franco describes her time in school as a...

"It’s really amazing how difficult it is to study something like the ocean." An interview with Ved Chirayath

Dr. Ved Chirayath is the director of the Laboratory for Advanced Sensing (LAS) in the Earth Science Division at NASA Ames Silicon Valley. There, he develops and invents new instruments for NASA missions on Earth and in space, with much of his current work focusing on creating technology that will increase our...

"Don't take yourself too seriously. Try and always put yourself in a new perspective." an interview with Lara Patricia Sotto

While many of the interviews at the conference were with experienced professionals with a career spanning several decades, this interview is with a young up-and-coming PhD student who traveled all the way from the Philippines to attend her first AGU...

"The sun kind of affects everything here on Earth in one way or another." An interview with Nicholeen Viall.

Nicholeen Viall is a research astrophysicist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, with her research focus being the sun and solar wind. Listen to Dr. Viall talk about her start in space science, her greatest accomplishment, and her hopes for...

"I ask a question that can connect what I'm doing with research in the past or planned for the future." an interview with Nathan Kurtz

The potential downside of a career in always seeking discoveries is that it may stunt the development of your confidence. Even as someone who walked into NASA, living the dream in his mind, Nathan Kurtz experiences that downside, politely calling...

“As long as you have the foundation, a unique worldview can be really useful in science.” An Interview with Ashley Greeley

Ashley Greeley is a research scientist in the Heliophysics Division at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center where she studies particles trapped in the magnetic field surrounding Earth. She sits down with us to talk about overcoming imposter syndrome, building innovative...

"It’s about how we translate the science and make it relevant to the people's life." An Interview with Saleh Ahmed

Saleh Ahmed is probably the only researcher who’s working in both Bangladesh and the Intermountain West. And as a professor in Environmental Studies, Global Studies, and Public Policy at Boise State University, his research in climate change is particularly urgent....

“If you’re not failing, you’re not researching.” An Interview with Michael Hesse

Michael Hesse is the Director of Science at NASA’s Ames Research Center, focusing on space biological science. We talked to him about being a good leader, doing science all over the world, and the joys of racing cars.

"You have to believe in yourself and your project more than anybody else, and you have to sell it." An Interview with Amy Winebarger.

Dr. Amy Winebarger is an astrophysicist in the Heliophysics and Planetary Science Office at NASA. Listen to Amy talk about what makes sounding rockets awesome to work with, the rewards of being a mentor, and how a New York Times...

“Pursue your passions, absolutely. But simultaneously be open to different experiences.” An Interview with Renee Weber

Renee Weber is the Chief Scientist at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, which basically means she represents all science at the center- pretty cool if you ask us! We talked to Renee about the importance of seismology, building personal relationships...

“I'd love to see more collaboration happen and [it is] integral in terms of science working in the future.” An interview with Krystal Yhap

Krystal Yhap’s interest in urban water resource management was sparked by the conversations around water safety in Flint, MI. She’s now a graduate assistant at the University of Maryland studying the water system in San Francisco. She talks about her...

“Be curious, have passion, and never close the door.” An Interview with Stephen Rinehart

Dr. Stephen Rinehart is the Director of Planetary Research Programs at NASA. We talked to him about how his love for destroying things as a kid led him to a career in science, walking away from failure, and working with...

“By changing how science is done, we open it up to… more diverse experiences.” An Interview with Chelle Gentemann

Dr. Chelle Gentemann is the Open Science Program scientist in NASA’s Office of the Chief Science Data Officer. In this role, she works to understand the impact, and development assessments, of NASA’s strategy for Open Science. She recently sat down...

What’s My Motivation, Said Neither of These Two Ever. An interview with Lucy Jones and Wendy Bohon

Seismologist Lucy Jones gained recognition for doing a TV interview following the 1992 Joshua Tree earthquake while holding her sleeping infant son. Long before that, she became one of the first American scientists to enter China after it’s normalization in...

“I would say, do not let anybody tell you that your experiences are not valuable and don’t matter.” Interview with Mónica Feliú-Mójer

A big part of Mónica Feliú-Mójer’s life mission is to help use science communication as a tool for equity and inclusion, and she has certainly achieved this working with two non-profits called Ciencia Puerto Rico and iBiology. Mónica has spent...

“I'm really good at translating. I can talk to scientists and engineers and help them understand each other.” An Interview with Charles Webb

Charles Webb is the Deputy Director of NASA’s Joint Agency Satellite Division, where he helps lead a team to develop and launch satellite missions for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Charles has a gift for translating between scientists and...

"We're going to be able to help the planet." An Interview with Cynthia Rosenzweig.

Cynthia Rosenzweig has been studying earth's changing climate and its impacts on agriculture for over 2 decades, yet she continues to be fascinated by the subject on a daily basis. Dr. Rosenzweig currently heads the Climate Impacts Group at NASA's...

Meet Allison Pierson, Executive Director of Whitesbog Preservation Trust

Allison Pierson, Executive Director for Whitesbog Preservation Trust is interviewed by Kiyomi Locker about her tenure at Whitesbog, where she details the history of the historic site, farming of blueberries and cranberries, as well as the impact of female scientist...

“Don’t let the hiccup stop you.” An Interview with Lauren Haygood

Lauren Haygood is a PhD student at Oklahoma State University, studying marine geochemistry and metal biogeochemical cycling in Dr. Natasha Riedinger’s lab. How does one become a chemist after failing chemistry in undergrad? We talked to Lauren about figuring out...