Rica Sirbaugh French
MiraCosta College & Center for Astronomy Education
Term:
Jun 2022
–
Jun 2025
Christopher C. Lindner
(He/Him/His)
Indeed
Bio ▼
I studied Astronomy and Physics at College of Charleston before getting my Astronomy PhD at The University of Texas at Austin. My research was on simulations of black hole accretion, gamma ray bursts, and supernovae. Upon completing my PhD in 2014, I made the shift to a career in Data Science, working in the EdTech and Employment industries. I have managed a variety of Data Science teams, and interviewed hundreds of candidates for data science roles, and have mentored dozens of astronomers in transitioning to non-academic careers. I have also worked as a professional poker player. I hope my insights can help scientists make successful transitions to the tech world and encourage institutions to invest more in preparing students for non-academic career paths.
Term:
Jun 2021
–
Jun 2024
David Principe
(He/Him/His)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Bio ▼
Dave Principe is currently a research scientist at MIT working in part for NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. His research is focused on young stellar evolution with an emphasis on magnetic activity and circumstellar disks. He received his PhD in Astrophysical Sciences and Technology from the Rochester Institute of Technology in 2014. Before becoming a research scientist, Dave held a postdoctoral research fellowship position in Santiago, Chile at the Universidad Diego Portales where he had the opportunity to operate and obtain data from some of the world's largest telescopes. Later, he spent two years as a postdoctoral research associate at MIT working on X-ray observations of young stellar clusters.
Term:
Jun 2021
–
Jun 2024
Chelsea E. Sharon
(She/They)
Yale-NUS College
Bio ▼
I am an assistant professor at Yale-NUS College, a small undergraduate liberal arts college in Singapore. My research focuses on star formation and molecular gas in high-redshift galaxies. I was previously a postdoctoral fellow at McMaster University and Cornell University, and I did my PhD at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. I joined the Employment Committee in order to help serve the wide range of people who are astronomers, from undergraduate degree holders to senior folks making career transitions, and hopefully provide a somewhat unique perspective as an AAS member who took a position abroad at a newer academic institution. Besides teaching and research, I spend my time playing water polo, dabbling in art, and snuggling my cats.
Term:
Jun 2021
–
Jun 2024
Meredith E. Danowski
(She/Her/Hers)
Ball Aerospace
Term:
Jun 2021
–
Jun 2024
Alexander Hubbard
Lightbox
Bio ▼
I did my undergraduate work at Cornell University before getting my PhD at the University of Rochester. I then did a post-doctoral tour in Europe before becoming a research scientist at the American Museum of Natural History, drawing from the meteoritical record to study planet formation and protoplanetary disks. I left astronomy to join a Commercial Real-Estate startup in 2017, nearly a decade after getting my PhD. I joined the EC out of a sense of professional responsibility, and as astronomer who left the field after many years of post-doctoral work.
Term:
Jun 2022
–
Jun 2025
Emily I. Mason
Predictive Science Inc.
Bio ▼
I earned bachelor’s degrees in Asian Studies, Astronomy, and Physics from SUNY New Paltz and a PhD in Physics from the Catholic University of America. I conducted my thesis research in solar physics at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, where I also held a NASA Postdoctoral Program appointment before being hired by Predictive Science. I have worked in local policy research, tech sector recruitment, and science communication (among other jobs), and have been active in STEM outreach for almost two decades. My research focuses on magnetic structures in the Sun's corona, both through extreme ultraviolet observations and interpreting magnetohydrodynamic models. Why I Joined the EC: I believe that one of the biggest responsibilities the AAS has is to gather and share relevant and timely information on the working conditions in the field with its membership, and I am very happy to be part of fulfilling that responsibility. I have helped with or pioneered career development programs at every institution I have attended because I think those in STEM often overlook mundane topics like effective job hunting, understanding benefits, and salary negotiations. I am looking forward to sharing my experience with recruiting and perspective gained from working in diverse sectors.
Term:
Jun 2022
–
Jun 2025
Joseph E. Pesce
(He/Him/His)
NSF, GMU, & CU Boulder
Bio ▼
Joe Pesce a Program Officer at NSF in the Division of Astronomical Sciences, responsible for the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. He is also a part-time professor at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA and a visiting professor at the University of Colorado, Boulder. In addition to a career in academia, where he conducted research on Active Galactic Nuclei (blazars), their host galaxies and galactic environment, Joe has experience in the private sector (for-profit and non-profit corporations). He founded and ran a small business conducting consulting and education in critical thinking and analytic methodology. He has expertise in science policy, the theory and application of leadership, and has been a manager (of personnel, finances, programs, and facilities). He's heavily involved in outreach and is a science advisor for authors and television/movies. He's mentored hundreds of individuals at all career levels. He would like to bring this varied experience to the AAS Employment Committee and share with the EC and the broader astronomical community.
Term:
Jun 2022
–
Jun 2025
Kavitha Arur
(She/Her/Hers)
UMBC/NASA Goddard
Bio ▼
Kavitha Arur leads the General Observer Facility as a support scientist for the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) at NASA Goddard/UMBC. Before that she was a CRA Postdoctoral Fellow at the Georgia Institute of Technology after receiving her PhD from Texas Tech University. Her research focuses on time-series analysis of X-ray binaries and accretion physics. She joined the EC, since as an international researcher she is passionate about making professional development opportunities available to researchers of all backgrounds.
Term:
Jun 2020
–
Jun 2024
Quyen N. Hart
(She/Her/Hers)
Space Telescope Science Institute
Bio ▼
Quyen Hart is the Project Scientist for JWST Science
Communication in the Office of Public Outreach at the Space Telescope Science
Institute (STScI). She leads the STScI public outreach efforts for the mission,
which includes managing the portfolio of STScI public engagement projects and
leading efforts to identify, conceptualize, and translate complex science
concepts and results into our outreach products, activities, and events. Quyen
earned her PhD from the Universe of Colorado at Boulder where she conducted
multiwavelength studies of active supermassive black holes in clusters of
galaxies and studied the X-ray emitting intra-cluster gas in clusters of
galaxies. Quyen’s career history is very diverse which includes working as a
programmer/analyst in atmospheric science lab, teaching and mentoring
undergrads as a tenured liberal arts professor, leading project teams creating
HST, JWST, Roman and other astrophysics outreach products, running large-scale
outreach events, and directing summer STEM camps for middle school children. I
joined the employment committee to help share different perspectives on what a
career with an astronomy education can look like.
Term:
Jun 2023
–
Jun 2026
Luisa Fernanda Zambrano-Marin
Florida Space Institute
Term:
Jun 2023
–
Jun 2026
Eileen T. Meyer
(She/Her/Hers)
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Bio ▼
Eileen Meyer is an associate professor of
physics at UMBC, and works primarily in the area of radio-loud AGN as an
extremely multi-wavelength observer (radio to TeV gamma-rays). She is also
interested in developing polarimetry instrumentation for small ground-based
telescopes. She received her PhD from Rice University in 2012 and was a postdoc
at the Space Telescope Science Institute until 2015 when she joined the faculty
at UMBC. She is particularly interested in how policy changes and best
practices can improve diversity and equity in the field.
Term:
Jun 2023
–
Jun 2026
Amit Vishwas
(He/Him/His)
Cornell University
Term:
Jun 2023
–
Jun 2026
