The AAS Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy maintains this blog to disseminate information relevant to astronomers who identify as women and share the perspectives of astronomers from varied backgrounds. If you have an idea for a blog post or topic, please submit a short pitch (less than 300 words).
The views expressed on this site are not necessarily the views of the CSWA, the AAS, its Board of Trustees, or its membership.
Helen Sawyer Hogg. Image credit: University of Toronto
At 16, [Helen] enrolled at Mount Holyoke College as a chemistry major. Then she witnessed the total solar eclipse of Jan. 24, 1925.
“Despite my horribly cold feet standing in nearly a foot of snow,” she wrote later, “the incredible beauty and grandeur of a total eclipse tied me to astronomy for life.”
Helen came to the notice of Harlow Shapley, director of the Harvard College Observatory, and he awarded her a $650 fellowship to pursue a doctorate with him, studying star clusters.
In these dense stellar neighborhoods, also called globular clusters, some stars brighten and dim, on their own or because something else is acting on them. By the late 1920s, astronomers used that variability to measure galactic distances.
Observing and photographing globular clusters demanded hours at the eyepiece, tweaking the telescope’s Newtonian focus. Under Shapley’s direction, Helen catalogued every variable star she captured and, ahead of her PhD from Radcliffe College, her name appeared on a dozen papers.
As we hit the end of February, let’s revisit one of astronomy’s brightest stars who left us too early.
Beth Brown was born February 4, 1969. She grew up in Roanoke, Virginia watching reruns of Star Trek and was enthralled with Star Wars, and both fueled her love for the stars. In high school she visited an observatory, where she viewed the Ring Nebula through a telescope. That school trip impacted her deeply, and after graduation, Brown decided to pursue astronomy.
She chose Howard University as an astrophysics major, dreaming of one day becoming an astronaut. While an undergrad, she learned her dislike of tight spaces (like those in a space shuttle) and that being near-sighted might not be the best attributes for an astronaut. Brown still pursued astrophysics, though, and graduated summa cum laude in 1991. While still an undergrad, she interned twice for NASA at Goddard Space Flight Center.
Brown pursued her graduate degrees at the University of Michigan, earning both her Masters and her doctoral degrees there. She became the first Black woman to earn a PhD in astronomy from the university. While studying astronomy, Brown also participated in science communication, teaching students and the general public about astronomy through the local planetarium and developing a short course at the university for non-astronomy majors to learn about the subject.
Photo: NASA
After obtaining her PhD, Dr. Brown returned to NASA, first as a post-doctoral research associate focused on elliptical galaxies, using both the ROSAT X-ray satellite and Chandra X-ray observatory to gather data. In her career at NASA, Dr. Brown worked at Goddard Space Flight Center and the X-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory. She also taught classes at Howard University on physics and astronomy as part of a NASA administrator fellowship.
Dr. Brown had just accepted a new position at GSFC as the Assistant Director for Science Communications and Higher Education, a job that combined her love for teaching and communicating about astronomy. Unfortunately, she didn’t have the chance to fulfill that role. Dr. Brown suffered a pulmonary embolism in October of 2008 which led to her unexpected death at the age of 39.
The Dr. Beth A. Brown Science Foundation was founded to remember and honor Dr. Brown by awarding scholarships to students studying physics or astronomy. The foundation awards scholarships to graduating high school seniors who are attending a university and majoring in either subject, as well as current students at Howard University and the University of Michigan.
The American Astronomical Society remembers Dr. Brown through the Beth Brown Memorial Award. In conjunction with the National Society of Black Physicists, the awards are given to an undergraduate and a graduate student who presents their research to the NSBP in poster format, and one student who presents in an oral format. Those selected receive a year of membership in AAS and registration to an AAS event with reimbursement for expenses. Members of the Committee on the Status of Minorities in Astronomy (CSMA) are often involved in the selection process through the NSBP.
Though Dr. Brown’s time in astronomy was cut short, she made deep and lasting impacts everywhere she went. Astro 127, or Naked Eye Astronomy, is still taught at the University of Michigan, allowing students to experience the joy of learning about the most common astronomical objects that can be observed with the naked eye.
Photo: NASA
Through her work, teaching, and outreach, she inspired young people to look to the stars, just as she did that first time she peered through a telescope and felt the stars calling her.
In our popular Career Profile series, the AASCommittee on the Status of Women in Astronomy has compiled dozens of interviews highlighting the diversity of career trajectories available to astronomers, planetary scientists, and those in related fields. In a twist on this series, we video-interviewed students in astronomy and astrophysics to highlight their personal and academic career paths. The purpose of this series is three-fold. It aims not only to give a voice and exposure to those who are up and coming in the field but also to give feedback to the Astronomical community at large about the experiences of students who identify as women. The hope is that these interviews will not only share advice and lessons learned but will shed light on how to encourage and inspire more women, from various backgrounds and skill sets, to follow space trajectories, and reach towards the stars.
Below is our interview with Ellesse Lynum-Lozano, a senior undergraduate student at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach Campus, as of Fall 2024. Raised in a military family, Ellesse had the chance to live in many places across the country while growing up, including Florida. It was here that Ellesse first found herself inspired by space via visits with her family to the Kennedy Space Center. Ellesse’s passion and enthusiasm have continued today, where Ellesse is now working towards a degree in Astronomy & Astrophysics with a minor in Computational Mathematics. This past summer, she interned at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, where she worked on a project related to correcting detector effects on the new Roman Telescope, which is scheduled to launch by May 2027. She is also involved with research on the detection of binary stars. Ellesse believes that one of the keys to her success is not solely focusing on grades and taking things slow. The most important thing to her is maintaining her scientific passion while having fun. She finds this mindset helps propel her through any potential difficulties she faces. Outside of her studies, Ellesse is a collector of classic cult horror films and a consumer of all things science fiction. She enjoys traveling, especially to Colombia where her mother is from, reading, and crocheting sweaters for her hairless cats.
“…grades aren't everything. Being quick isn't everything. You don't need to be a young genius. I feel like most people that are in this field are just normal people. They have a lot of interests; they have a lot of passion and that's what got them the furthest. You don't need to be the smartest person in the office ‘cause everyone relies on everyone.” – Ellesse Lynum-Lozano
Transcript: Libby Fenstermacher and Ellesse Lynum-Lozano
Libby: Hi, everybody. Thanks for joining me today. My name is Libby Fenstermacher, and I'm here today with Ellesse, and she's here to talk with us about being a woman and a student in astronomy. So, thank you so much for being here today. Do you want to share a little bit about yourself and your background with us?
Ellesse: Yes. So just quickly, my name is Ellesse Lynum-Lozano. I'm an incoming senior at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. I'm majoring in astronomy and astrophysics. But my school isn't just about me. I'm from Orlando, FL. I was born and raised here, but I've been in a military family, so I moved around a lot. I've been from the East Coast to the Midwest, like all around the US. And just more about me is I'm an Afro-Latina. That's how I identify. I'm half African-American and half Colombian cause that's where my mom was from. So, that’s just a little bit about me.
Libby: Awesome. What inspired you to choose a path in astronomy slash astrophysics in the first place?
Ellesse: Yeah, I guess at first, it’s because I used to live in Florida. We have the John F Kennedy Space Center there, so it was always easy. I used to visit there when I was younger, and I remember I had this one trip. They had an astronomy exhibit and ever since then, I have been interested in learning more. And like my parents, they were very much like, you got to watch documentaries, you got to learn more. So, I would sit down, and I'd watch every astronomy space documentary there ever was. And then growing up, it'd just keep on growing. I had moments where I would leave and come back like, oh, astronomy is probably what I want to do. And by the time I got to middle school and high school, I started taking math courses and physics courses. And I was like, OK, this is probably what I want to do in the future. Astronomy is the way to go.
Libby: It hooked you. Got you in there. That's awesome. What about astronomy excites you?
Ellesse: I feel like astronomy, it's so big. It's a ginormous field. Like you can discover so many things. It's evolving. There are so many theories, so many sections of astronomy that you can always go into. It's not linear. It's not once you're in, you have to focus on one research project for the rest of your life. You can just move around, and skills apply to other things. I also think it's just cool. You get to learn about our universe, our world, the planets, how things began, and the building blocks of everything. There's so much to learn in so little time, so I'll never be bored. And yeah, it just allows me to be a part of something that's sort of bigger than myself. Because not everyone is going to discover something or be the person who discovers a black hole or be the person that discovers a new theory. It's just cool to be able to be involved in a generation that can be like, I helped lead to this. Maybe I didn't find it, but I helped do it.
Libby: Yeah, I feel the same way. That's why I'm here today with you. I just want to be part of all this future discovery. It's so exciting for our understanding of who we are and our place in the universe. I'm excited to see what you end up doing. What about astronomy do you find challenging and what have you done to overcome those challenges?
Ellesse: I think I already said math and physics. Astronomy requires so much background information, which is something I've learned. I guess more recently when I entered college, there's so much you need to learn to even prepare yourself to learn the bigger concepts. It's not all about cool stars and cool galaxies. You have to get into the math, get into the physics. And that was a huge sharing point. When I came to school, I was like, OK, I actually need to focus on learning these things. It might not always be interesting and exciting, but I feel like you sort of need to get through the more boring stuff, the more mundane stuff to get to the more exciting things. And I guess another challenge for me is I'm always the type of person where I like to focus on one thing, like this is what I want to do in the future. This is my goal. But I need to not limit myself. Cause with astronomy, just because you want to enter one field doesn't mean that's the field you're going to enter. Cause I could wake up one day and be like, I don't want to do this anymore. Like maybe I don't want to focus on stars. Maybe I want to move on to galaxies. Maybe I want to discover a different field. I just, you just, can't limit yourself. And that's a big, a big challenge for me. I don't need to focus on one thing. I can range out. Yeah, and it's just such a vast discipline. It's endless in what you can study, and that's what's exciting about it.
Libby: I’m excited for you. What do you think is a common misperception that people have about astronomy as a discipline and as an educational path?
Ellesse: Yeah, I know a huge misconception is it's all about sitting in an observatory, or at least what I thought when I was younger, sitting in an observatory. I'm out all night looking at stars and taking pictures and then going home the next day and starting over. That's barely what anyone does anymore. Like we don't go to observatories. That's usually a thing for the technicians. Everything's remoted in, everything's on your computers. And another one is coding. I had no idea astronomers did coding until I got to college. And I was like, oh, there's a whole new skill I have to learn now. And that was also a huge challenge for me because I feel like also because it's such a small field, not a lot of people are going around saying like, oh, you should go into computer science maybe to help you prepare beforehand. So that's a big part. And I know another misconception, especially with the educational path, is you have to go get your bachelor's in astronomy or you have to get a bachelor's in physics. I've met so many people who've gone in math. Or just computer science and they still go into astronomy. It's not one of those fields where you need to go for a specific degree. You could start anywhere. You could go to work and then join to be an astronomer. You don't need that PhD saying you're an astronomer to technically be one. So, there's a lot of different options.
Libby: That's some really, really solid advice. I'm going to quote you on that in in your in your little article. What are you currently working on right now? What projects?
Ellesse: Yeah, I'm currently at my internship here at NASA Goddard. I'm in Maryland at the moment. That's why I'm in a little different environment than I'm used to. And I'm just working on my project is mostly for like correcting detector effects that could affect like cosmology and results for like the expansion, constant, all these other interesting astronomy things for cosmology for the Roman Space Telescope and I know it's been a really a fun project so far, so I've been really excited about it. And then I know another project I'm sort of working on off and on because I'm here at the internship is I do research with one of my professors. So, it's mostly on binary star systems and we're just checking if it's a binary star. That's always fun to do. And I know outside of schooling and my projects, I know a big goal for me is I do want to do more outreach. I feel like it's really important for astronomers especially to do outreach because our field is so, everyone's in technical language, everyone's saying like scientific words. And so, the normal population who isn't like so focused on what we're doing won't understand why it's important. And so, I think it's really important that everyone can understand things and know how to maybe join the field.
Libby: Absolutely. Understanding our place in space is so important in terms of just understanding humanity as a whole. I mean, it's just anybody can be an astronomer, anybody can be inspired by space and just got to get out there and do it. What are your near future plans?
Ellesse: Oh, well, my near future plans are sort of just going. I'm very much “go with the flow”. So, I guess my biggest future plan is getting into grad school because I am becoming a senior, but I'm also sort of sporadic. Grad school is really important to me, but it's also maybe I want to take a break. So, I've been considering ‘postbac’ programs or just internships cause I know my philosophy is I don't need to go too fast. I think it's important that I'm learning, I'm having fun and I'm still interested in the field. I don't want to go so fast that I burn out by the end of the day. So, I just want to take things a little slower.
Libby: I am an adult learner myself and I personally found a lot of benefit from taking a little break. It ended up prolonging my journey and keeping me on the path in the long run. So, whatever you decide to do, it'll work out. What advice would you give to someone considering a trajectory similar to yours?
Ellesse: I would say going back on that, it's not a race against time. I know how I started with my trajectory is… I actually started college in high school 'cause in Washington where I was living at the time, they had this program called ‘Running Start’ and you could get your associate's by the time you graduated with your diploma, which is really fun and cool. But I now sometimes think maybe I should have just continued in high school because you sort of lose the aspect of just being a kid in college or being a high school student. It's not…you shouldn't be so hell-bent on education. And so, I think people, you just need to take it slow. It's not important that you need to be the one with the most research. You need to have the best grades. It's more important that you are able to still learn while having fun and being interested in it. And I think when other people look out and in and see that you're still really interested, you have so much passion for the field. It's not as important if you have straight As or if you have done like 10 research projects.
Libby: Absolutely. Did you receive any mentorship along your path? And if so, what is some of that advice that was given to you?
Ellesse: I receive a lot of mentorship from my professors cause I'm one of those students. I love talking to my professors and the advice that a close professor has given to me is to always talk to people. When I first entered my first year of college, I didn't do anything. I wasn't… I was focused on getting good grades. I would go to a club meeting once a month. I wasn't really talking to my professors. But it's so important that you make connections early on. And it's not just (that) I need to make connections to get a job with them. You want to make connections to (...) have people you can rely on, have people that can at the end of the day say like this person is really good at this. Or just having someone to give you advice. Cause if I never talked to my professors this year, I would have never found so many people I could rely on. Cause I go to them for everything. I go to them for life problems, not just academics. And cause there they're just senior. They have lived a longer life than me. So, I can always just rely on them for those things.
Libby: That's so important to have that community and that network. And have those people that are willing to support you. I'm glad that you found that at Embry-Riddle. That's wonderful.
Libby: What, if any, changes would you like to see for women in astronomy?
Ellesse: I think there's always a ton of changes. I know for me there's always this competitiveness that I need to be better than you. I need to do more than you. And I know a big problem with women in astronomy specifically, is sometimes women get barred out of these conversations or they're not involved in this research or they're not able to do as much. And I think there doesn't need to be any competitiveness like that. Like it's good to have a little bit cause we can, you know, more competitiveness, we can get more done. But, when there's so much, it just doesn't become a welcoming environment anymore. And that's another big problem, is that there are certain fields in astronomy. I know, and I've been warned that it's going to be hard to be able women to enter this field. Others have had more progression than others. But I know for like more theoretical or even like cosmology, some certain fields, it can be sort of wishy-washy, like maybe be careful, maybe be more cautious. And with that, I know I would love to see more support groups. Recently I've been seeing a lot more women in astronomy groups or helping mentorships for them. And I think it's cool if these certain environments can happen everywhere, like even in universities, there should be a women in astronomy type of program. So, we can encourage more development and see more changes.
Libby: Well, I would encourage you and anybody else watching this to check out the Committee for the Status of Women in Astronomy's page on the American Astronomical Society's website. And there's a ton of resources on there about mentorship and about all sorts of problems that women face in astronomy. So, I'd encourage you to check that out. It's a great resource. So, we're down to our last two questions here. Thanks again for being here today. This has been so informative and so inspiring.
Libby: And now we're going to go off the astronomy track and you're going to tell me what your favorite movie or TV show is.
Ellesse: I’m like a huge nerd, so of course my favorite movie is Interstellar. I wouldn't be an astronomy student without it being my favorite, but it isn't my only one. I know I love horror movies outside of astronomy. I have a huge passion. I collect horror movies VHS tapes, anything John Carpenter… give it to me. Or I know one of my favorite scary movies is The Shining or American Psycho. Those two are really good. And as for TV shows, I'm a huge I watch everything in my off time when I'm not in school. I love watching, whether it be reality TV or documentaries. I know like a really big TV show that everyone's going about is Game of Thrones. I’ve just started entering the Game of Thrones era. I've just started watching it. So, it's been really good so far.
Libby: Yes. Welcome. Welcome to Westeros. Are you? Are you into the Trek?
Ellesse: I am. I am, I am extremely into the Trek.
Libby: Me too. Me too. It's my home. If only if only we lived with the...I mean, I feel like NASA is our own version of Starfleet, frankly.
Ellesse: But it basically is. I think we're basically one of the fleets.
Libby: Yep, absolutely. Well, is there anything else you'd like to share with me today?
Ellesse: No. I guess just like overall for advice I've learned that I think is super important, that everyone needs to know is grades aren't everything. Being quick isn't everything. You don't need to be a young genius. I feel like most people that are in this field are just normal people. They have a lot of interests; they have a lot of passion and that's what got them the furthest. You don't need to be the smartest person in the office ‘cause everyone relies on everyone. Everyone gets advice from other people.
Libby: That's wonderful advice and I am so excited to see what you end up doing on your path. I'm going to be keeping tabs and looking for you in journals. But thanks again for being here this has been wonderful, and I can't wait to share your story. Have a great rest of your day.
Ellesse: Thank you. You, too! Thank you so much for having me.
Cross-post: Defying the Stereotype of Black Resilience
(Original article written by Jyoti Madhusoodanana for Nature.com, May 30, 2024)
Kaela S. Singleton has pushed back against Black stereotypes again and again as she pursued her PhD in neuroscience and then made a career shift to nonprofit leadership. Singleton faced common assumptions and myths about Black students in academia. In 2020, she co-founded Black in Neuro, a community for Black researchers in neuroscience and their allies. This network provides mentorship and professional development for Black researchers in the field.
Singleton also finds herself confronting racism and has found ways to engage others about it, even when it makes both parties uncomfortable. “A lot of times, it comes down to just having conversations and being direct with people,” Singleton says in her Nature.com interview. She also discusses the myths of Black resilience and changing her mind about her career direction after receiving her PhD.
Find out more about what drives Kaela Singleton, read her bio, and view copies of her successful applications (free resources for others to view) at Kaela S. Singleton, PhD.
AAS Committee on the Status of Women
Issue of February 7, 2025
eds: Jeremy Bailin, Sethanne Howard, Ferah Munshi, Nicolle Zellner, Stella Kafka, and Ben Keller
[We hope you all are taking care of yourselves and each other. --eds.]
Andrea Mosie calls herself "a Moon person". As she should. For nearly five decades, Andrea has worked at NASA's Johnson Space Center, where she is responsible for curating Apollo lunar samples, a job that is truly out of this world. She helps to allocate the samples to scientists around the world, who then use them for scientific research, studying anything from understanding the Moon's origin and evolution to investigating its bombardment history to inventorying its chemical reservoir that includes water, among other topics. Andrea started the job almost immediately after college (earning degrees in Chemistry and Math from Huston-Tillotson University) and found that the job suited her penchant for organization and having things "just right".
Mosie, Senior Scientist Specialist, holds an Apollo 15 lunar sample (credit: NASA).
In a twist on this series, we video-interviewed students in astronomy and astrophysics to highlight their personal and academic career paths. The purpose of this series is three-fold. It aims not only to give a voice and exposure to those who are up and coming in the field but also to give feedback to the Astronomical community at large about the experiences of students who identify as women. The hope is that these interviews will not only share advice and lessons learned but will shed light on how to encourage and inspire more women, from various backgrounds and skill sets, to follow space trajectories, and reach towards the stars.
By: Libby Fenstermacher
Image Credit: L. Wiser
Below is our interview with Lindsey Wiser, a fifth-year Astrophysics PhD Student at Arizona State University (ASU). Lindsey’s current research involves studying exoplanet atmospheres and space science mission development. She remembers first being drawn to space when very young. Beingdriven by existential questions, this passion was inspired and solidified through reading and watching Star Trek: TOS (The Original Series), with her mom. Before ASU, Lindsey graduated from Johns Hopkins University, where she received a Bachelor’s degree in both Engineering Mechanics and Earth and Planetary Science. Lindsey is heavily involved in science policy and advocacy, including leading the Space Generation Advisory Council's (SGAC) Policy and Advocacy Task Force for the NCAC region (North America, Central America, and the Caribbean). Outside of research and policy, Lindsey enjoys spending time with her cat, exploring the outdoors, and watching Formula 1 racing.
“There are lots of ways to be an astronomer or to be involved in astronomy that aren't necessarily academia, and I think it takes time for everyone to learn that in astronomy. (...) You can help on space missions, or policy and advocacy, or outreach and teaching. There are lots of components to careers in astronomy and astrophysics that aren't just writing papers all day, every day. And that's something that I think sometimes gets lost, especially maybe for kind of earlier or younger students or people kind of earlier in the learning process.”
-Lindsey Wiser
Transcript: Libby Fenstermacher and Lindsey WiserLibby: Hey, everybody. My name is Libby Fenstermacher. Thanks for joining me today. I am here interviewing Lindsay, and she's going to tell us a little bit about being a woman and a student in astronomy. So, thanks so much for joining me. Do you want to tell me a little bit about your background?
Lindsey: Yeah, sure. So hi, everybody. So yeah, I got interested in space as a kid. I wasn't sure what to do with that interest immediately. But I knew NASA was cool, and I knew that NASA probably hired engineers. So, I did mechanical engineering first at Johns Hopkins University. And a couple of years into that, I'd done some science internships, and I did the Brooke Owens Fellowship for women and gender minorities in aerospace. And through those, through that fellowship and those internships, I realized I was really excited about science specifically and about policy. And so, I'm now going into my fifth year of my PhD in astrophysics. I study exoplanet atmospheres nowadays, looking at atmosphere models and data from the James Webb Space Telescope. I'm also doing some science, policy, advocacy, and submission work.
Libby: Awesome. What inspired you to choose a path in astronomy and astrophysics in the first place?
Lindsey: I think so, like I said, kind of from a kid I was already interested in space. I think I was always really excited by the unknown and sort of like existential questions. And so that combined with… I did a lot of reading and watching Star Trek with my mom, kind of all those things combined, into an interest in space exploration. And then, yeah, science specifically came a little bit later on, but like later into my undergraduate degree. But yeah, space from the beginning.
Libby: I'm a big Trekkie myself, so that definitely inspired me to want to be a part of this community.
Lindsey: Yeah, it's a good community.
Libby: It's like I was saying this to another one of my interviewees. It's like NASA…is its own version of Starfleet, you know?
Lindsey: That's fair.
Libby: But what about astronomy excites you?
Lindsey: So, Earth is definitely my favorite planet, but I think that in high school, I thought it… it felt kind of absurd to me that Earth is one planet of so many in a much bigger universe, and that I didn't really learn much about space through school. I kind of had to find it myself. I think nowadays I understand the focus on Earth. I think preserving Earth is critical. Earth is fantastic, but what space does for me is really put Earth into perspective. So, you know, I spend a lot of my day thinking about other planets that aren't even in our solar system. And studying that diversity of planets is really exciting from a personal perspective. But I also think from a broader perspective it helps to put Earth into context and helps us to realize how valuable our own planet really is to protect. Plus, space pictures are fun and pretty, and so I think there's always something to be said for that. And using astronomy as a way to inspire an interest in science and technology, yeah. And then there are also so many components of the space world beyond astronomy. There's so many ways that satellites help people on Earth and Yeah, I don't want to lose sight of all those things either, because astronomy really excites me for the science. But there's also a much broader space community that is really valuable for a lot of different reasons.
Libby: I came across a project earlier from the European Space Agency, actually, where they're using satellites to monitor organic cotton production in different regions and to see policy uptakes with that. So, it's really amazing all that we can do with space.
Lindsey: Yeah, that’s cool.
Libby: What about astronomy is challenging for you and astrophysics is challenging for you. And what have you done to overcome those challenges?
Lindsey: Yeah, so I think the process of doing research hasn't always come easily to me, and I don't think I'm alone in that. I think for a lot of astronomers, the process of research is kind of a learned process. It doesn't come naturally to everybody, and that's OK. I think I'm naturally a pretty big-picture thinker. And so when I'm approaching a research problem and there's something that's kind of much more specific or technical, that's not and that hasn't always been easy for me to really narrow my mind in on things like that. But over time, I've definitely learned how to put seemingly very kind of small, specific challenges into a much broader picture in my mind, which helps me really motivate… like, OK, why am I spending multiple days trying to fix this one bug in my code? Like what? What am I really going to get out of that? And putting it in the bigger picture in my brain has really helped. And that's a constantly evolving process of learning to do that well. I've also found that having a diversity of different projects is really valuable to me. So having multiple research projects going on at once or having side projects kind of helping support a mission or helping to do some policy or science advocacy work, having those other ways so that I can. Utilizing other pieces of my brain whenever I need a switch is really helpful for me.
Libby: That probably helps you holistically as well with problem-solving. Coming from all those different angles, you're probably able to see things in a unique perspective.
Lindsey: Yeah, I think that, yeah, I think all of us like it helps when you just have other, whether it's hobbies or other components of your job, just like being able to use your brain in different ways is helpful.
Libby: Yeah, no one track mind has got anything much accomplished. What do you think is a common misperception about astronomers, astronomy and astrophysics, and the educational path in general?
Lindsey: Let me think. I think, yeah, a big one, at least that I wish I had kind of understood earlier on, is it doesn't have to be pure research all the time. There are lots of ways to be an astronomer or to be involved in astronomy that aren't necessarily academia, and I think it takes time for everyone to kind of learn that in astronomy. And so certainly people who want to stay in peer research or working in academia, if you want to do that, fantastic. But there's also lots of ways to stay involved that aren't just that. So, you can, you know, help on space missions. Or policy and advocacy or outreach and teaching. Yeah, there's lots of components to careers in astronomy and astrophysics that aren't just writing papers all day, every day. And that's something that I think sometimes gets lost, especially maybe for kind of earlier or younger students or people kind of earlier in the learning process. Yeah.
Libby: On the Committee for the Status of Women in Astronomy resource page on the AAS website, there's actually a whole section dedicated to alternative paths within astronomy. So, I would recommend anybody who's watching this video check that out. I will share the link on the blog post itself. What are you currently working on right now?
Lindsey: Yeah, so a few things. I think I've mentioned a few of them, but... I am working on looking at data from JWST, the James Webb Space Telescope, and developing atmosphere models to try to compare our observations of exoplanets to models of exoplanet atmospheres to learn more about what are the atmospheres made of and what might their climates be like. A lot of these planets are nothing like the planets we see in our own solar system. And so, it's really a fun puzzle to try to figure that out. I am also a graduate student shadow on the Pandora Smallsat mission, which is a NASA mission that plans to launch next year. That'll help us better understand the stars, the host stars that there are exoplanets orbiting. That'll also help us better understand when we're looking at these systems, what information is coming from the star, and what's coming from the planet. So, it helps us understand both a bit better. And so for that, I've been helping with some outreach initiatives. I've also been helping to plan the commissioning process, which is basically the first month after Pandora launches…What are the tests that we need to do? What are the calibrations that need to happen to make sure that the instruments are working the way we need them to, to get all the science done? Yeah. And then outside of my kind of PhD world, I'm also doing quite a bit of volunteer policy and advocacy work through different channels, but mostly through the Space Generation Advisory Council. Which is an international network of young professionals in the space world that also has some involvement with the United Nations. So yeah, that's another network that I really encourage any early career and student space people to look into cause it's been really valuable for me.
Libby: Absolutely. I have been a part of SGAC myself on the Our Giant Leap project group which focuses on gender equality and diversity in the space sector. So, yes, anybody watching this, please get involved with SGAC. If you're under the age of 35, it will…It's just such an amazing network and you won't be disappointed.
Lindsey: Yeah, you won’t.
Libby: What are your near future plans? What are you looking to do after you get your PhD?
Lindsey: Yeah. So yeah, I have a couple more papers to finish up in the coming months and then I'm going to be starting to apply for postdocs and jobs in the fall. So yeah, that's the near future. Kind of the next year-ish of my life is making sure everything's done. So I'm, I'm done with the PhD.
Libby: Awesome. But what are your aspirations beyond that? Let's say like 80 when you're 80 years old, what do you want to have accomplished?
Lindsey: Yeah, I think that. My answer to that question is constantly evolving, but at the moment I'm really excited about supporting space missions, and helping to formulate future missions. So yeah, working on space missions in some capacity is something I'm really excited about doing more of. And then also the policy work. I definitely see a future in which I'm hopefully working on government policy in some capacity, helping to ensure that all the cool science that we do as astronomers can continue to happen, whether that's through finding funding for it or coming up with policies to help maintain the sustainability of space activity in the future. So yeah, there's a lot of, there's a lot of really cool kind of policy questions that I also hope to contribute to.
Libby: It sounds like you are making your mark there and I'm excited to see what you put forth and what you come up with and I'm just going to be following your journey.
Lindsey: Thank you. You too and in the SGAC stuff. I hadn't. I didn't know you were part of that. So that's really awesome.
Libby: What advice would you give to someone considering a trajectory similar to yours?
Lindsey: Definitely reach out to people who are doing things that you think are cool and just ask them about it. I think, yeah, a big part of figuring out whatever it is I want to do next is always just like talking to random people, cold emailing people, or talking to friends of friends and just being like. What do you do on the day-to-day and not being afraid to ask them what don't you like about your job? Because I found that that's also a really great, great question depending on who you're talking to. But yeah, it helps to just kind of learn what people are actually doing day-to-day, cause sometimes it's not always obvious.
Libby: That’s really great advice. Did you receive any mentorship yourself? And if so, do you have any advice that you'd like to share that you received?
Lindsey: I certainly have a lot of mentorship. It's definitely important to have people around you that want to support you in doing what you want to do, regardless of whether or not it's what they're doing. So that's one thing I found, finding people who maybe don't have the same career path as me, but are really encouraging and supportive of me doing what I want to do. I think [it] has been fantastic having mentors that are both older than you and kind of have more experience as well as mentors who are the same age as you or even younger than you. I do think that having kind of a diversity of career perspectives can be valuable too. I have a couple of close friends who have very similar kinds of goals to me who are also in the same stage as me. And so they're also mentors in a way that we can kind of support each other and help each other as we try to do things. And then, yeah, finding mentors through whether it's fellowships or cold emails or internships or whatever, kind of maintaining those contacts over time. Yeah, just kind of maintaining those relationships. Yeah, I think one big lesson you asked me about lessons. One big lesson I think I have been learning is how to say no to things. Because if it hasn't become clear, I have a lot of different interests and a lot of different things and I can't do everything at the same time. And so learning to say no to things and to have learning that it's OK to be really focused on one area that I'm excited about at some point in my life. So, I'm doing a lot of science right now for my PhD. It's possible that the next thing will be more mission programmatic focused or policy or maybe more science, but it's OK for those priorities to shift over time. And it just helps you build more experiences overall. So, I think that's, yeah, that's a big lesson that I've learned.
Libby: I think it's a good one. It's great advice. I tend to be someone with my fingers in many, many piles at the same time. So, I totally relate to that. No is one of those words that can be hard to learn how to say sometimes. So, if you have any great advice on how to implement that, you'll have to pass it along later. What if, what if any changes would you like to see for women in this field?
Lindsey: Yeah, I think definitely encouraging more women and gender minorities in general in astronomy would be fantastic. I do think that certainly, of course, anyone should be able to leave a field if they aren't excited about it, but I would hope that it's not because they didn't feel welcome there. It can be for other reasons. And so, I think I have been mostly lucky in that most of my mentors have been relatively welcoming, and I've had women who I can look up to. But that is not the case for everyone. I certainly know that that's not the case for everyone. And lots of people have subconscious biases too. So yeah, one example is I've been told a couple of times that my being ambitious is a flaw. I don't think that's true. I also don't know how many men get told that, but I would guess not as many. So when it was told to me it didn't come across maliciously, but obviously it was not a good thing to say and so continuing to be aware of biases like that and yeah, just trying to maintain a welcoming environment, I think would be great to constantly see more of.
Libby: Yeah, that sort of statement is, I mean, that's the definition of unconscious bias right there. Absolutely meant with no ill intent, I'm sure. But just, yeah, I doubt that was asked to many men. Little curveball here. What's your favorite movie or TV show? I know we talked about Star Trek….
Lindsey: Yeah, I mean, that's the classic answer. So, it's kind of a boring answer coming from an astronomer, but I do think it's the one I have to go with just because, I don't know, I haven't. Yeah, I think for a sentimental perspective, I have to go with Star Trek.
Libby: Which series?
Lindsey: So, I grew up on the original series. So, if we're going sentimental, definitely, definitely that one. But I also loved it when the movies with Chris Pine were coming out in my kind of teenage years, I think. So yeah, those are great.
Libby: They're coming out with another one of those.
Lindsey: Oh, really? I didn't even know that. That's exciting.
Libby: Yeah, I don't know when it is, but I know it’s happening. So keep your eyes peeled on your Google feed.
Lindsey: Yeah, that's exciting. Yeah.
Libby: Is there anything else you want to share today?
Lindsey: No, just, yeah. Thanks for having me. It was a good chat. I think this is definitely valuable. Having conversations like this is valuable. So yeah, I encourage people to just kind of reach out if they have any questions or want to chat or anything like that.
Libby: Thank you so much for meeting with me. This has been great, and I can't wait to share your story.
Lindsey: Hey, thanks so much.
Libby: Yep. Have a great day. You too.
Lindsey: You too.
Libby: Bye.
Lindsey: Bye.
