Introducing Jennifer Grier

Hello Astrofolks! – I’m Dr. Jennifer Grier, a Senior Scientist and Education/Communications Specialist at the Planetary Science Institute (HQ Tucson, AZ).  My formal education is in the sciences, with a B.S. in Astronomy and a Ph.D. in Planetary Sciences, but I also have 25 years of experience working in science education and outreach.  Some science stuff I’ve done: determined the relative ages of lunar rayed craters through optical maturity of ejecta, dated channels on Mars with crater statistics, found the ages of thermal impact events on asteroids by isotopic examination of meteorites, and estimated the time of formation of the Gardnos impact structure on Earth.  Some of my specific education work has included:  partnering with school systems to develop astronomy curricula, working with science museums to verify exhibit content, professional development workshops for teachers and scientists in education and outreach, and also teaching online/university/community college classes.  My current interests include inclusion and equity in STEM careers, the ethics of space exploration, and mental health/disability issues in the sciences.  If not doing those things then I’m doing creative writing, such as poetry, essays, fiction, articles and more – my works in progress include a collection of creepy childhood horror poems and a space opera novel trilogy.  And that book of essays about the alchemy of science and writing …

You can find my musings and other info in various places like:

@grierja

jagrier.com

Medium.com, @jenniferagrier

Introducing Bhairavi Shankar

I am a planetary scientist living in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Canada. My research focus throughout graduate school has been on characterizing impact craters on several planetary bodies (Earth, Moon, Venus). This includes characterizing the crater morphology and determining the compositional information of surfaces using data fusion techniques on remote sensing datasets. But my main passion has also been in being a spatial analyst – applying tools, techniques, and troubleshooting issues when it comes to properly projecting data of planetary surfaces for research. A close second passion has been to share all the cool awesome space science news and research with the general public.

I did my undergraduate degree in Planetary science at the University of Toronto, my Master’s in Geology at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, and PhD in Geology (Planetary Science) at Western University. I recently wrapped up a postdoc position in nearby London, ON (Western University) and the mixed experience (long long hours, burnout, occasional feeling of work isolation, lack of work/life balance) in that role has led me to explore options beyond pure academia. While completing much overdue publications and managing family commitments, I’m looking forward to rediscovering how to continue working as a Planetary Scientist.