Meet Your CSWA, James Keane

James Keane is a research scientist at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He is a planetary scientist, studying orbital dynamics, rotational dynamics, and geologic processes on terrestrial and icy worlds across the Solar System utilizing data from NASA's robotic missions (GRAIL, New Horizons, etc.). James is also an avid artist and science communicator, using pen and pencil to communicate complicated scientific ideas.

 

 

Describe the first time you made a personal connection with the planets and stars

I've always been enamored with space. I don't know exactly when that started; maybe it was from watching way too much Star Trek with my family, or maybe it was seeing Saturn through a telescope for the first time from a small observatory in my home-state of Iowa, or maybe it was watching the Pathfinder mission land on Mars in elementary school. All of these things, coupled with a family that supported me, led me to the career I have today.

How did you end up working in the field?

Ever since I was a child, I knew I wanted to do something with space. In undergrad, I went to the University of Maryland: College Park, where I studied Astronomy. I bounced around different sub-disciplines, including solar physics, stellar astronomy, galactic astronomy, and struggled to find a subject I really was passionate about. On a whim, I took some geology classes in my junior year, and loved them. I ended up staying an extra year to get a geology degree in addition to my astronomy degree, and realized that planetary science--which is literally the intersection of those two fields--was the perfect field for me. I later went on to get my PhD in planetary science at the University of Arizona in Tucson, and then took a postdoc position at Caltech before getting my current job at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Who inspired you?

Perhaps my biggest inspiration is Dr. Maria Zuber. Maria was the principal investigator (PI) of the NASA GRAIL mission that studied the Moon's gravity field. She is an absolute tour de force; deftly managing a multi-million dollar mission, managing the personalities of those on the mission, all while doing amazing top-notch science. I benefited greatly from her mentorship, and I aspire to be as great of a scientist as she is.

What is a research scientist?

I am a research scientist at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the "Small Bodies" group in the Planetary Science section. As a research scientist, I spend my days studying different scientific problems across the solar system--and in particular, problems related to small bodies, like asteroids, comets, and Kuiper belt objects. I use a combination of theoretical methods, coupled with the analysis of spacecraft-derived datasets to investigate the dynamics, structure, origin, and evolution of solar system bodies. Additionally, as a scientist at JPL, I am involved in a lot of planning for future robotic missions to explore our solar system.

What community issues are important to you and why?

I am really committed to improving the equity and inclusivity of the astronomy and planetary science community. We know that astronomy has substantial workforce and diversity problems—from the lack of women participation on NASA missions, to the severe underrepresentation of Black and Latinx scientists in our field. As a cis-gendered, white man, it is incumbent on me to both recognize my own privilidge, and use it to better the community.

Tell us about a favorite moment so far in your career.

My favorite moment was being part of the New Horizons flyby of (486958) Arrokoth in 2018–2019. While I have been involved in multiple NASA planetary science missions, flybys are unique. All of the science gets distilled into singular, intense, high-stakes events. In the case of New Horizons, these flybys are all to places we've never explored before—so you're often the first person to lay eyes on these strange new worlds. So, for several cold weeks around New Year's Day 2019, I worked with the team at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory to analyze data as it streamed back to Earth from the New Horizons spacecraft as it zipped past this tiny, icy fossil from the formation of the solar system. It was invigorating, surprising, and a lot of fun! We're still analyzing all of that data to this day.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to take the same career path as you?

I would tell them not to be afraid to try new things! As I mentioned above, I only got to where I am by trying different projects and experiences, and realizing what things I hated doing, and what made me happy to go to work every day. Astronomy programs are often crafted around some hypothetical, idealized career track (undergrad → PhD → lots of papers → postdoc → tenure-track faculty job at a prestigious research university) that are often untenable and undesirable. Be open to new experiences, and don't be afraid to prioritize your own needs and desires over what others expect of you.

What do you do for fun?

I do art! In particular, I do pen and pencil sketches and illustrations. While I do a lot of this for fun, I also have gotten more involved in professional science illustration. Other than that, I have two rambunctious chihuahua-mix dogs that keep me very entertained when they're not barking at the neighbors.

What are your goals as a part of the CSWA?

I want to contribute however I can to improve the astronomy and planetary science workforce. I'm particularly interested in contributing to the workforce and climate surveys. These surveys are important; they provide quantitative insight, help identify problems, and are key to convincing others that these problems exist. Additionally, I am very interested in making sure that the CSWA is responsive to the needs of the LGBTQ+ community. While queer issues may not be in the original charge of the CSWA (and are more directly relevant to the AAS Committee for Sexual-Orientation and Gender Minorities in Astronomy (SGMA)), they are undoubtedly related and important.

If you weren’t in the field of astronomy, what would you be doing?

I'd probably be a graphic designer and science illustrator. Over the past several years, I've been doing a lot of science illustration commissions for individual scientists, NASA missions, and publications. I imagine that in another life, I could have made that my profession.

What changes would you like to see for women in astronomy?

I would like to see more equitable representation of women in major awards and activities within NASA and our scientific communities. I would also like to see more actions taken to ensure that our workplaces and conferences are safe, welcoming environments for all scientists.