Search Interviews

Brian Cairns works for the NASA Goddard Institute for space studies in New York, where he focuses on developing instruments that will make better measurements of small particles in space. In this interview Dr. Cairns discusses his start in engineering,...

Ronald "Ron" Britton (71) recounts to StoryCorps facilitator Chapin Montague [no age given] his youth as a self-proclaimed military brat, the lives of his parents, and his career in oceanography and marine biology, all while sitting on the wood-lined deck...

Meet Xubin Zeng, a professor of atmospheric science at the University of Arizona. Dr. Zeng was amazed by the power of mathematics at a young age and found his calling in physics. Listen to Dr. Zeng discuss what inspires him,...

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...

What is it like to be a graduate student as part of the science party on JOIDES Resolution? Celeste Pallone shares her experience as a sedimentologist on Expedition 397 (Iberian Margin Paleoclimate, Oct-Dec 2022) as an early career scientist and...

Micropaleontologist Timothy Bralower has sailed multiple times on JOIDES Resolution and a mission-specific platform. He reflects upon how communication at sea has changed over time, from mailbags filled with letters waiting in port when the ship returned, to the use...

Carbonate sedimentologist Michael Whalen participated as a shore-based scientist on Expedition 364, Chicxulub: Drilling the K-Pg Impact Crater. Mike discusses his interest in these sediments, his time working on material at the Breman Core Repository in Germany, and how having...

Micropaleontologist and biostratigrapher Christopher Lowery shares his experience on a mission-specific platform for Expedition 364 during the drilling of the Chicxulub K-Pg impact crater. Hear how he describes how ocean drilling is like flipping the pages of a book backwards...

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...

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...

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...

Meet Eric Lindstrom, a former Physicial Oceanographer for NASA who now works with Saildrone, Inc to map the ocean floor. Eric spent his first day at the beach when he was 3 days old and has been fascinated with marine...

Microbiologist Jason Sylvan has sailed on JOIDES Resolution for three expeditions - each time, packing his camera and tripod. Jason shares how he captures photos to convey the work done on the ship, along with personal aspects of collecting photos...

Graduate student Claire Jasper was a sedimentologist on Expedition 395 (June 12 - August 12, 2023). To prepare for her first-ever expedition at sea, she asked people that had previously sailed on JOIDES Resolution "thousands of questions," especially as she...

Bonus audio! Jonathan Lewis sat down to share his experiences sailing on Chikyu. But in addition to detailing his experiences at sea, Jon discusses how the Chikyu changed him as a scientist and motivated him to give back to the...

Structural geologist Jon Lewis sailed on Expedition 315 on the scientific research vessel Chikyu in 2007 - his first-ever at-sea experience. Jon explains this riser vessel, the training required for the helicopter landing necessary to join the ship, as well...

Dr. Paul Mahaffy is the director of NASA's Solar System Exploration Division at the Goddard Space Flight Center. Raised in Eritrea, Paul became fascinated with the diversity of life at a young age, but did not have his sights set...

If you are curious to learn more about the bonding and friendships that develop while at sea, listen no further than this conversation with Allyson Tessin and Ashley Burkett, two scientists that sailed on Expedition 392 (Agulhas Plateau Cretaceous Climate,...

What is it like to celebrate your birthday on a scientific research vessel in the middle of the ocean? Yi Wang describes her birthday celebration while on board JOIDES Resolution for Expedition 390, combining community and culture in a COVID-safe...

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,...

Dr. Gurnett began flying model planes at an early age. Little did he know that this passion of his would propel him to become a pioneer in space physics. In this interview Gurnett talks about his improbable journey to the...

Keir Becker has sailed on 22 expeditions of scientific ocean drilling. For this conversation, he focuses on his four Glomar Challenger expeditions, including the technology and communications that existed during those years - and what it was like to receive...

Dr. Elkins-Tanton did not always know she wanted to be a scientist, yet she is now the principal investigator for NASA's Psyche mission and the managing director of the Arizona State University Interplanetary Initiative. Hear her talk about her journey...

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...

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...