“Mentoring makes me happy, I never tire of it.” A conversation with Alicia Hoffman.

Alicia Hoffman is a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. She is studying air quality and how to model the chemistry that impacts our air, using the Community Multi-scale Air Quality Model — developed by the Environmental...

"If you really enjoy it [science], all the work will be worth it." An interview with Matthew Johnson.

Dr. Matthew Johnson's research is in atmospheric chemistry, a branch of atmospheric science, which looks at the composition and chemistry of Earth's atmosphere, such as aerosols and trace gas emissions, and how particles may impact human health. Dr. Johnson's research...

"It's just amazing to go to a new place in the solar system and discover someplace new." An interview with Paul Mahaffy.

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...

"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...

"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...

"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...

"Even today I'm still amazed at the power of the simple mathematics and it has benefited my whole career." An interview with Xubin Zeng.

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,...

"We can always do something and we should always do what we can when we can." An interview with Brian Cairns.

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,...

"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...

“How far you go [in your science career] depends on how big your curiosity is." A conversation with David Moore.

David Moore is a first-year graduate student at UCLA. He is studying tropical cyclones, also known as typhoons or hurricanes, on Earth. In his graduate research work, David is researching how to bridge the gap between planetary atmospheres and meteorology...

"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...

"Most of these happenings have been because technology became available that could realize the vision." An interview with Eric Lindstrom.

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...

"I grew up in a place where I was the first to go to college – not just in my family, but in the village." An interview with Charles Gatebe.

Dr. Charles Gatebe's research focus is on clouds aerosols, ecosystem structure and function, albedo, and feedbacks to climate. In this interview, we chat about his science journey pursuing science, starting with his interest in studying Kenya’s air pollution, and how...

"It was really such a unique experience that I just don't think can happen today." An interview with Donald Gurnett.

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...

"It's so fun and such a privilege to be part of this team and see what people can do together" An interview with Lindy Elkins-Tanton

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...

"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...

"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...

"Every project we work on, we count them by decades. That delays the rewards." An interview with Mehdi Benna.

While growing up in Tunisia Dr. Mehdi Benna dreamed of being a space scientist. Yet his future was uncertain after the first missions he worked on failed. Learn more about how Dr. Benna overcome adversity, what motivates him to go...

"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...

"SaSa became the culmination of all of my past and present interests." A conversation with Kennedi White.

Kennedi White is one of 25 students starting in the new Student Airborne Science Activation (SaSa) program at the NASA Ames Research Center. Students at SaSa are undergraduates from minority-serving institutions, competitively selected across the United States. Over the course...

"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...

"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,...

"When I was a child I always loved nature — I [knew] I wanted to become a scientist." A conversation with Stephanie Marie Ortiz Rosario.

Stephanie Marie Ortiz Rosario is an undergraduate student and Physics major from the University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez. Over the summer, Stephanie will be participating at SaSa, the Student Airborne Science Activation, summer program. SaSa is hosting 25 early-career undergraduates (first-...

"As a human being, you shouldn't let the individual days go by without appreciating them." An interview with Justin Kasper.

Justin Kasper is a Professor of Space Sciences at the University of Michigan, where he designs sensors for spacecraft that explore extreme environments in space. In this interview Dr. Kasper talks about what sparked his interest in space, the rewards...