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With nearly 6,000 planets discovered beyond the Solar System, we are closer than ever to answering the question: “Are we alone in the universe?” And yet, much remains to be done. Many factors and processes can affect planetary climate and habitability, and their effects must be understood to accurately determine a planet's potential for hosting life. Professor Shields will describe the methods her research group uses to explore planet habitability and identify planets most capable of supporting life. She will also share excerpts from her memoir, Life on Other Planets, and describe her struggle to fit in as a Black woman in astronomy, her nontraditional career path, and the holistic ways of working soft and resting more that were instrumental to finding her place in the universe, and thriving both personally and professionally.
Dr. Aomawa Shields is an accomplished astronomer and astrobiologist. An expert on the climate and habitability of Earth-size planets orbiting low-mass stars, she is at the forefront of research focusing on exoplanet atmospheres, climate modeling, and the search for life on other planets. Dr. Shields is one of the few Black women in a predominantly white male field; she is the 126th Black woman to have ever received PhDs in physics and astronomy. As a child, she dreamt of working for NASA and went on to attend MIT. However, plagued by self-doubt and discouragement from her male professor, she left science to pursue acting. But her love for science never ended, leading her to co-host a PBS show, Wired Science, and ultimately, to return to finish her PhD in astronomy and astrobiology. Now, combining her passion for both astronomy and acting, she is the Clare Boothe Luce Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of California Irvine, and the Founder and Director of Rising Stargirls, an organization that encourages girls of color to engage with science through the performing arts.
Copies of Life on Other Planets: Finding My Place in the Universe will be handed out to the first 100 in-person attendees.
Co-sponsored by the Department of Astrophysical Sciences