"There are many ways to be a scientist." An interview with Pacifica Sommers

Pacifica Sommers is an ecologist and explorer. From the deserts of Arizona to the Antarctic tundra, Pacifica has looked at how organisms from tardigrades to pocket mice live in extreme environments. We talked with her about some of the most...

"Everyone deserves to be in science because science affects everybody." An interview with Jaida Elcock

Jaida Elcock says she thrives in chaos. And we’re inclined to believe her. From her ridiculously entertaining TikToks on animal facts, to her work with the non-profit Minorities in Shark Sciences (oh, did we mention she’s currently pursuing her Ph.D.),...

"You know what you're capable of,…trust in the interest and passion that got you here." An interview with Emily Williams

Emily Williams has traveled the world in search of birds. As a biologist, she’s worked in Kansas, Argentina, Australia, and Denali, and studied loons, flycatchers, kingbirds, and more. And even with all these experiences and diverse species interactions, she’s now...

"Anything that really lets me feel like I have a tangible impact on my community…is very…meaningful." An interview with Gina Zwicky

Gina Zwicky love lizards. And frogs. And turtles. Basically, all sorts of amphibians and reptiles. The love has turned into a career looking at how lizards fight off parasites and how those parasites evolve to be, well, better parasites. And...

“It's never been easier to make your own space.” An interview with David Shiffman

David Shiffman is a shark guy first, marine conservation biologist second. Sharks are in his Twitter handle, he’s writing a book about them, and he was wearing a shark shirt the day we interviewed him. We talked with David about...

"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...

Dual interests as both research scientist and engineer. An interview with Alok Shrestha.

In this interview, Senior Engineer Alok Shrestha discusses his career path as both engineer and scientist, now working for the Airborne Science Facility at NASA Ames. He also discussed how his background helped aid the 2015 earthquake recovery in Nepal,...

"Persistence is necessary to have a career in the sciences." An interview with Laura Iraci.

Dr. Laura Iraci is a research scientist in the Earth Sciences Division at NASA Ames, where she leads a group focusing on air and where human pollution goes. In this interview, we discuss her early interest in high school chemistry...