At Work: Xiaohua (Eric) Xu

Eric Xu at Ridgecrest site

30 September 2022–“Geodesy is quite an old research field that started pretty much when humans wanted to measure the Earth, but it is also very new, especially since the rise of space-borne radar techniques,” said Xiaohua (Eric) Xu. “Space geodesy has helped scientists to measure not just the shape, but … Continue Reading »

At Work: Andrea Bryant

Andrea Bryant

31 August 2022–Andrea Bryant came to her work with NASA’s Dragonfly mission through what she calls “a beautiful accident.” Quarantining by herself in a tiny studio apartment in 2020, the University of Chicago graduate student was looking for a NASA internship that might fit with her exoplanet studies. A posting … Continue Reading »

At Work: Zoya Farajpour

Zoya Farajpour

29 July 2022–Zoya Farajpour was born in Iran, one of the most seismically active countries in the world. Most of Iran’s major cities and towns are in the vicinity of seismic faults, she said. “The oral and written history of this country is full of massive and destructive earthquake events … Continue Reading »

At Work: Manuel Matthew Mendoza

Matt Mendoza

29 June 2022–The scenes of devastation from the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami were part of what made Manuel Mendoza consider a career as a geophysicist, he says. The combination of interesting science, travel and the ability to help people were all factors that convinced him to study earthquakes. Mendoza’s … Continue Reading »

At Work: Peggy Hellweg

Peggy Hellweg at BSL

16 May 2022–Peggy Hellweg was the first Explainer hired at the Exploratorium, a science, technology and arts museum in San Francisco, when it opened in 1969. The job as a young docent, engaging visitors and leading demonstrations, was a perfect fit for Hellweg. She had grown up in a family … Continue Reading »

At Work: John Townend

John Townend

15 April 2022–As SSA President, John Townend has been at the helm of the society as it weathered the challenges of a pandemic and a virtual annual meeting, but the past year has led to new insights as well. “The pandemic has forced us to adapt the ways we meet … Continue Reading »