“It's very satisfying to be – even a small cog – in a very important machine.” An Interview with Jeffrey Myers

Jeffrey Myers knows his way around aerial photogrammetry. As a former lead manager at the Airborne Sensor Facility at NASA’s Ames Research Center, Jeffrey’s work with data collection and earth mapping has been affiliated with NASA’s U-2 program, MODIS, and...

“There's a long history of NASA involved in agriculture.” An Interview with Chris Justice

Chris Justice is a geographer and professor at the University of Maryland whose research on land use changes and global agriculture has taken him around the world. His research has had a hand in a variety of NASA programs, including...

“It’s NASA, why would you ever want to leave?” An Interview with Peter Falcon

Peter Falcon is an Earth Science communications specialist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory with an atypical background: behavioral science. As a communications specialist, Peter acts as a liaison between NASA projects – such as the CloudSat program – and students,...

“Scientists need to continue… educating the public on risk and uncertainty.” An Interview with Gary Jedlovec

Growing up in Chicago, Gary Jedlovec dreamed of running his own weather station and becoming the next great TV weather forecaster. However, that all changed when he discovered meteorological research. Now well into his career as the Chief of the...

”I've always been concerned about preserving natural resources.” An Interview with Matthew Rodell

Being a Hydrologist was never on Matthew Rodell’s radar, let alone working for NASA. But he always trusted the path ahead. Now as their Deputy Director of Earth Sciences for Hydrosphere, Biosphere, and Geophysics (HGB) at Goddard Space Flight Center,...

“What I do is I make sure that data is accessible and we say discoverable… which is really important.” An Interview with Michele Thornton

When it comes to data archiving, Michele Thornton has you covered. As a Geospatial Data Professional for ORNL-DAAC, Michele ensures that NASA funded research is accessible not only to researchers out in the field but to a larger user community...

"We're not interested in just learning about science, we want to do science." An interview with Paul Hertz

His application to be an astronaut may have been turned down, but Paul Hertz is playing a big role in helping us understand how the universe works as the Director of Astrophysics at NASA. He found his passion for astrophysics...

"Don't let anything hold you back". An interview with Ashley Lindalia Walker

Ashley Lindalia Walker is the founder for #BlackInAstro, co-founder and media liaison for #BlackInChem, and co-founder of #BlackInPhysics. Oh, and she's getting her Ph.D in astrochemistry. We discussed her work advocating for black scientists and academics, what inspired her career...

"Be proactive and seek out opportunities." An interview with Tanya Harrison

Tanya Harrison never thought she was going to be an astronaut. But she was determined to go to space. And she did just that – through satellites, first to Mars, and now looking back at our own third rock from...

"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...

“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...

"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-...

“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...

"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...

"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...

"I believe the future of humanity lies beyond Earth's surface and I want to help make this possible." A conversation with Diana Gentry.

Dr. Diana Gentry, a research scientist at NASA Ames Research Center, studies aerobiology (microbes in clouds), biodiversity, biomaterials, and biological systems. Diana describes herself as at the nexus of both science and engineering where she speaks both languages and translates...

"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...

"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...

"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...