“We can watch twenty minutes of the earth ‘breathing,’ in two minutes.” an interview with Jeremy Werdell

Jeremy Werdell, an Oceanographer in the Ocean Ecology Laboratory at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, discusses his lifelong passion for studying the ocean, which started with a school field trip to a marine biology lab. He describes how happening to...

"Sharp Observations from a Keen Observer." an interview with Susan Loizer

We won’t say how long Susan Lozier has been shaping young minds at Duke University (she may let it slip), but she talks about amazing changes that have happened during her tenure. She grew up wondering how rivers get polluted,...

"You can't keep redoing your Ph.D. Really, to be successful, I think you have to change." an interview with Steven Pawson

Steven Pawson, Chief of the Global Modeling and Assimilation Office at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, shares his experiences working on atmospheric and Earth systems science, including interactions between the Ozone Layer and climate change, and predicting air quality for...

"Well, why weren't you here before?' "an interview with Lawerence Friedl

Lawrence Friedl discusses his life and experiences as Director of the Applied Sciences Program in the Earth Science Division at NASA Headquarters. Interested in space from a young age, he developed an interest in how the environment and public policy...

"When I was young, I always wanted to play pro baseball, soccer, or basketball" an interview Paul Newman

Paul Newman, Chief Scientist for Earth Science at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and the co-chair to the Montreal Protocol, is one of the planet’s top ozone watchdogs – a self-described detective who looks for any chemicals which may deplete...

"If I can be welcomed in this group, doing this work, maybe they can too." an interview with David Crisp

David Crisp, senior research scientist at NASA, recounted his adventures, from going from a physics education major who had a paper on Venus winds published by Carl Sagan to a doctoral student at Princeton to helping fix Hubble. He described...

“There are no dumb questions, be confident and know that you are the expert in your field.” an interview with Linette McPartland

Imagine this upbringing: only child, suburbs of Maryland, daughter of a mathematician and a pastry chef. If you guessed that child would achieve a management role with NASA’s famed IceBridge2 mission, congratulations, you truly have exceptional foresight. Linette Boisvert McPartland...

"AGU is interdisciplinary, [it] helps breaks down the disciplinary stovepipe we often get into." an interview with Jim Irons

Jim Irons grew up in the 1960s and 1970s in Cleveland when environmental conservation was becoming more important for society, but it wasn’t until the Cuyahoga River in his hometown of Cleveland caught on fire in 1969 that his desire...

"It's not just about the ocean, it's about the intersection of the ocean with other earth systems." an interview with Paula Bontempi

After being drawn to the oceans at an early age, Paula continues to examine many factors that influence changes in the oceans. As a program manager for NASA, she enjoys the opportunity to work with dedicated researchers and learn how...

“We’re looking forward to the evolution of missions to the outer solar system.” an interview with Glenn Orton

Glenn Orton is so deep in Jupiter mission information that he gets envious when he’s not involved in a space project studying the gas giant. The senior research scientist at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory studies the composition and structure...

"Tracking whales from space.” an interview with Woody Turner

Woody Turner, the program scientist for biological diversity and manager for ecological forecasting programs at NASA, and one of the few people in the world who directly harness the power of space to solve a whale of a problem –...

"Something I learn today is something that [could help] society tomorrow." an interview with Patrick Taylor

While Patrick Taylor spends a huge chunk of his time in the clouds, his work has nothing to do with daydreaming. The Research scientist at NASA’s Langley Research Center is working on understanding more about the role of clouds in...

"For me growing up in the 60s & being a real NASA fan, working for NASA was just a really fulfilling thing." an interview with Richard Eckman

The start of a fruitful career for Richard Eckman was being on a team which discovered that the stratosphere and ozone varied in relation to the sun’s 27-day rotation. Eckman, who now works with NASA’s Atmospheric Composition Modeling and Analysis...

"I joined an Oceanography club & actually asked the question that ended up [being] my thesis." an interview with Michael Freilich

Michael Freilich, Director of NASA's Earth Science Division, shares about his life studying the oceans and Earth as a system. While still in his high school's oceanography club, he started exploring a question about how waves move that later became...

"We’re constantly inventing new ways to use our data for societal benefits.” an interview with Sandra Cauffman

Sandra Cauffman was told growing up in Costa Rica that she couldn’t be an electrical engineer because she was a woman. Decades into a career which has largely involved getting her hands dirty building instruments to fix on spacecraft, the...

"The atmosphere is one of the most complex processes in nature." an interview with Luke Oman

As a child, Luke Oman was always looking out the window. Today, he works on atmospheric processing for NASA. How do volcanic eruptions affect everyday life? What happens when sulfur dioxide gases from volcanoes interact with sulfate aerosol and stay...

“Volcanoes are where we’re making new earth, every day." an interview with Lori Glaze

Lori Glaze, Acting Director of the Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters, works with everything from understanding asteroid trajectories and material make up to the InSight mission which recently landed a rover on Mars. It’s no exaggeration to say Lori...

"We were seeing Christmas lights from space, and seeing people praying on Mount Arafat during the Haaj." an interview with Miguel Román

Miguel Román, a Physical researcher Scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, shares his journey from his childhood in San Juan, Puerto Rico to NASA. Seeing the impacts of hurricanes and urban growth where he grew up, and the practical...

"When we met, it was a Reese's Peanut Butter moment: we had the peanut butter & he had the chocolate." an interview with David Young

David Young, Director of Science at NASA Langley Research Center, discusses his life's work studying the earth's climate. After an early interest in astrophysics, he focused in on earth science due to his desire to do research to help humans....

“When you do these missions, they can take decades to come to fruition.” An interview with Louise Prockter

Louise Prockter knows a thing or two about logistics and planning. When the first image of the unseen hemisphere of Mercury popped onto the screen during a flyby mission, her first thought was, "oh thank God, it's in the middle...

"The best way to get ahead is to plant seeds of ideas in other people & watch them take off & run with it." an interview with Bruce Wielicki

Bruce Wielicki, a NASA Langley climate scientist, discusses his collaboration with economists to help non-scientists understand how climate change will hit them in the wallet, and how they could reduce that risk with modest investments in improved climate science. He...

"It never occurred to me to work in science communication" an interview with Laurie Cantillo

Laurie Cantillo, the Deputy Director of Communications and Education at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, talks about her journey to become a science communicator. She developed an interest in science at an early age spending time in the outdoors with her...

“It’s all about getting the information into the hands of local stakeholders.” an interview with John Bolten

John Bolten doesn’t need to get his hands dirty to learn about crop yields. Using satellite images, the Associate Program Manager of Water Resources for the NASA Applied Sciences Program has worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to directly...

"We have to learn to live off of the planet–we can't take everything with us." an interview with Steve Clarke

Steven Clarke, NASA's Deputy Associate Administrator for Exploration, discusses his life in science and engineering. Currently tasked with bridging NASA's efforts on human and robotic missions to coordinate scientific requirements for going to the Moon and Mars, he has seen...

"Communication is our responsibility." an interview with Jay Famiglietti

James Famiglietti, hydrologist and Director of the Global Institute for Water Security, University of Saskatchewan, discusses his work with NASA's Gravity Recovery and Climate Experience (GRACE) and the evolution of technology throughout his career including its impact on water security....