Aomawa Shields
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
University of California, Los Angeles
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- TED Fellow (2015)
- Kavli Fellow (2015)
Aomawa Shields | |
|---|---|
| Alma mater | University of Washington University of California, Los Angeles Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Awards |
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| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Astronomy, Astrobiology |
| Institutions | University of California, Irvine |
| Thesis | The Effect of Star-Planet Interactions on Planetary Climate |
| Doctoral advisor | Cecilia Bitz and Victoria Meadows |
| Website | aomawashields |
Aomawa L. Shields is an associate professor of physics and astronomy at University of California, Irvine. Her research is focused on exploring the climate and habitability of small exoplanets, using data from observatories including NASA's Kepler space telescope.[1] Shields was a 2015 TED Fellow, and is active in science communication and outreach. She develops interactive workshops to encourage self-esteem and teach about astronomy, combines her training in theater and her career in astronomy.
Shields describes watching the movie Space Camp at age 12 as sparking the question "Are We Alone?"[2] Shields attended Phillips Exeter Academy, graduating in 1993. As a student there, she and others interested in physics often rose early in the morning to look at Jupiter's moons.[3] From Exeter, Shields attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology, gaining a degree in Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences.[4][5] While she began a PhD in physics, she deferred and attended UCLA for an MFA in acting. She acted for a while, including a part in the 2005 film, Nine Lives.[6]
However, she still felt the pull from space and science. As a day job, Shields worked at Caltech on the helpdesk operator for the Spitzer Space Telescope. Conversations on this job led her to audition and ultimately co-host for a TV Show called Wired Science, run by PBS and Wired Magazine.[5][7] After exploring future careers both in science-TV hosting and interests in astronaut training, Shields realized that she would need a PhD for further growth. After an eleven-year break from her undergraduate, she attended the University of Washington, receiving a master's degree in 2011 and then a PhD in 2014 in Astronomy and Astrobiology.[8] She was advised by Victoria Meadows and Cecilia Bitz, and her dissertation was titled, "The Effect of Star-Planet Interactions on Planetary Climate.[9]"
