Uncle Phil

Phil Shannahan, my great uncle, was the fifth and final child born to John and Virginia Shannahan in 1945. His siblings, Ann, Dave, Jim, and Sharon, provided him with ample love, life tips, protection, and a great relationship. Phil grew...

Ed Kowalchuk of Fairfield County, CT and Beth Moeller for the Griswold Resilience Project: Achieving Moonshots

Beth Moeller sat down with Ed Kowalchuk just after the Space X Dragon Launch to discuss lessons learned from immigrant parents, his own immigration to the US from Canada, a career at IBM including little known back room experiences from...

"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...

“Me and a million other kids wanted to be an astronaut.” an interview with Doug Archer

Doug Archer has a rock collection, only he’s never actually held any of the stones, and they are hundreds of millions of miles away on Mars. As a research scientist working with the Curiosity Mars rover in NASA’s Johnson Space...

“I wanted to know–how did these monsters form?" an interview with John Haynes

John Haynes, Program Manager of Health and Air Quality applications in the Applied Sciences Program at NASA headquarters, talks about catching the “weather bug” at a young age. In first grade, he told his teacher that he wanted to be...

“The best part about science is that if you do an experiment and your hypothesis is wrong you just try again” An interview with Adeena Teres

Adeena Teres is a high school science teacher in Florida, although she tried a few different careers before following her passion for teaching. As a teacher, there are always opportunities to inspire students either into science careers or towards other...

"I want to change the world with what we do, not do it for myself." an interview with Christopher Hain

Chris Hain from the Short-term Prediction Research and Transition Center helps turn NASA data into information that non-scientists can use. One of his big projects is monitoring plant stress from space, which can give farmers a 2-4 week early warning...

"These are really big questions that right now no one could really answer." An interview with Kayla Iacovino

Kayla Iacovino's research seeks to better understand the inner workings of crustal volcanic systems; drawing inspiration from Star Trek, she strives to harness geochemical information to improve lives. In this interview Dr. Iacovino talks about the hurdles she has overcome,...

"The journey and who you're taking the journey with matters as much as the destination." An interview with Riley Duren.

Riley Duren is a Research Scientist at the University of Arizona and an Engineering Fellow at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. His current research focus is developing greenhouse gas monitoring systems to support decision-making about climate. Listen to Riley discuss why...

“Science is the R&D for the future.” An interview with Christa Peters-Lidard

When Christa Peters-Lidard cold-called the head of NASA’s hydrology lab as an undergrad, she wasn’t thinking she’d eventually land that very position. Now as the Acting Director for Sciences and Exploration at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Christa oversees several...

“It wasn’t a big leap from there to the ocean.” An interview with Dr. Dan Whitt.

Dr. Dan Whitt studies currents and the circulation of nutrients in ocean ecosystems. Dan describes his Ph.D. research on internal waves ‒ oscillations found where the ocean is stratified by density ‒ and compares this effect to an expertly-poured Arnold...

"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's important to get out of the textbook and into the field to communicate science and new research.” An interview with Elizabeth Eubanks

Engaging young students outside of the classroom can help further a life-long interest in science. Elizabeth Eubanks is trying to bring these kinds of experiences to as many kids as she can. As a science teacher, she’s heard from students...

"I love where life has taken me." An interview with Mamta Nagaraja.

Mamta Nagaraja started her career as an engineer but has adroitly transitioned into a position in science communications at NASA, where she strives to craft science into stories that will inspire others. Listen to Dr. Nagaraja discuss her path to...

“We went there to study sulfur and we ended up making this big nitrogen discovery.” An Interview with Barry Lefer

As a Program Manager for NASA Headquarters Earth Science Division, Barry Lefer helps fund important global research and field campaigns that are measuring air quality and greenhouse gases. And judging by these studies, Barry thinks the future is looking good!...

"There is humor and wonderment in all these great people." An interview with James Garvin.

James Garvin is the Chief Scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Dr. Garvin has been at NASA for 35 years in a variety of roles and missions, and is well known for his incredible work in NASA's Mars explorational...

“As a 15-year-old, I was fascinated by stars and galaxies.” An interview with Naseem Rangwala.

Dr. Naseem Rangwala is an astrophysicist and project scientist for the SOFIA mission. SOFIA, or the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, is a modified Boeing 747 airplane carrying a large telescope. SOFIA observes the universe through long infrared wavelengths. As...

"The best science is global." an interview with Sonia Esperanca

Sonia Esperanca, Program Director for the National Science Foundation, supports earth-science research in the academic community. She shares her journey from Rio de Janeiro to the United States, Israel, Australia, and elsewhere. Having an understanding of landscapes across the world...

"The opportunity to be part of this team to build something was really quite compelling." An Interview with Russanne Low.

Dr. Russanne Low works for the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, with much of her work centering on promoting citizen science. Listen to Dr. Low discuss the obstacles she's had to overcome, how the science community has changed for the...

"Coming Soon to a Superhero Movie Near You." an interview with Lindy Elkins-Tanton and Evgenya Shkolnik

How rare is it for women to be lead investigators on robotic space missions? This conversation featured two of the very first women to hold that distinction. So, of course, they’re close friends. The lead investigator role requires bringing a...

‘I was one of those kids who thought everybody became a scientist… I was always fascinated with galaxies." An interview with Tom Statler

As the program scientist in NASA’s Planetary Science Division and the Planetary Defense Coordination Office, Tom Statler works with mission teams as they send robots to asteroids and other entities in our Solar System. From a science-rich upbringing to his...

"We all stand on each other shoulders to make the next discovery." an interview with Joseph Lazio

As a radio astronomer at the Jet Propulsion lab at NASA, Joseph Lazio walks us through his work in radio astronomy and career at NASA. He helped design radio telescopes to solve the mystery of why a hidden star was...