AstronomerAND

Welcome to episode 17 of AstronomerAND. Today is the second half of a two-parter with my guest Mary Beth Laychak. Mary Beth Laychak is the Director of Strategic Communications at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope on the Big Island of Hawai'i. She runs the Maunakea Scholars program, an innovative astronomy outreach program for Hawaiii public high school students. Mary Beth has an undergraduate degree in astronomy and astrophysics from Penn State University and a masters degree in educational technology from San Diego State. She resides in Waimea, Hawai’i. Today we dive into whether Mary Beth considers herself an astronomer, which is a nuanced answer. We talk about my absolutely favorite outreach and education program, Maunakea Scholars, and talk about careers and mental health. Email Mary Beth: mary@cfht.hawaii.eduReach out to AstronomerAnd: Twitter: @astronomerand Instagram: @astronomerandpodEmail: astronomerand@gmail.comShow Notes:Keiki Heros: https://www.keikiheroes.org/CFHT: https://www.cfht.hawaii.edu/Maunakea Scholars: https://maunakeascholars.com/Royal Astronomical Society of Canada: https://www.rasc.ca/Celestial Buddies: https://celestialbuddies.com/Astronomy Jobs at CFHT: https://cfht.applicantpro.com/jobs/2772795.htmlCover Art: iritmogilevsky.com, Instagram: irit.mog Theme Tune: Omar Chakor - https://www.fiverr.com/ch6k0rLand Acknowledgement:This podcast was recorded in Hawai'i. I recognize that her majesty Queen Liliʻuokalani yielded the Hawaiian Kingdom and these territories under duress and protest to the United States to avoid the bloodshed of her people. I further recognize that generations of indigenous Hawaiians and their knowledge systems shaped Hawaiʻi in a sustainable way that allows me to enjoy her gifts today.This episode was funded by the Curb Center in Nashville and we recognize that this land belonged to the Indigenous People before it came to be known as the state of Tennessee, or as the United States of America. We recognize that that Indigenous Peoples were the first residents of what we now know as the State of Tennessee and that Nashville is built upon the homelands and villages of the Indigenous Peoples of this region including the Shawnee, Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Yuchi tribal nations. Our ability to live and work in this state is the result of direct coercion, forced dispossession, and deliberate colonization. To ignore that is to perpetuate injustice to populations of people that continue to seek redistribution of land that was once theirs. We provide this land acknowledgement in recognition and respect of the indigenous people to whom this land truly belongs. We recognize that acknowledgment by itself is a small gesture, and that it becomes meaningful when coupled with authentic relationship and informed action. Inclusivity Statement: I wish for this podcast to be a safe space for those of every gender expression, sexual orientation, ability, race, religious group and age group. I am always trying to learn and improve on my unconscious bias. Any suggestions for improvement will be gratefully received at astronomerand@gmail.com.

This week is my second episode with Dr. Kaitlin Rasmussen, where we dive into what it's like to be in the trans or non-binary community as well as an astronomer. We discuss (the lacking) codes of conduct in astronomy departments, how to navitgate conferences safely, and funding for the LGBT community in astronomy. Of course we end up cascading into a bit of a rant-a-thon, but we end with a nice chat about how much we love thier finacé. I hope you enjoy this episode. A little reminder about Kay: they are an astrobiologist at University of Washington and the forthcoming author of "Life in Seven Numbers: The Drake Equation Revealed". They also co-edit a speculative fiction magazine "If There's Anyone Left" and parent two unruly cats. Find Kay on Twitter: @toomanyspectra and @C_M_FieldsReach out to AstronomerAnd: Twitter: @astronomerand Instagram: @astronomerandpodEmail: astronomerand@gmail.comShow Notes:If There's Anyone Left: https://www.iftheresanyoneleft.com/FluxCT Webtool: https://www.jessicastasik.com/flux-contamination-toolKay's Website: https://www.kaitlinrasmussen.com/Cover Art: iritmogilevsky.com, Instagram: irit.mog Theme Tune: Omar Chakor - https://www.fiverr.com/ch6k0rLand Acknowledgement:This podcast was recorded in Hawai'i. I recognize that her majesty Queen Liliʻuokalani yielded the Hawaiian Kingdom and these territories under duress and protest to the United States to avoid the bloodshed of her people. I further recognize that generations of indigenous Hawaiians and their knowledge systems shaped Hawaiʻi in a sustainable way that allows me to enjoy her gifts today.This episode was funded by the Curb Center in Nashville and we recognize that this land belonged to the Indigenous People before it came to be known as the state of Tennessee, or as the United States of America. We recognize that that Indigenous Peoples were the first residents of what we now know as the State of Tennessee and that Nashville is built upon the homelands and villages of the Indigenous Peoples of this region including the Shawnee, Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Yuchi tribal nations. Our ability to live and work in this state is the result of direct coercion, forced dispossession, and deliberate colonization. To ignore that is to perpetuate injustice to populations of people that continue to seek redistribution of land that was once theirs. We provide this land acknowledgement in recognition and respect of the indigenous people to whom this land truly belongs. We recognize that acknowledgment by itself is a small gesture, and that it becomes meaningful when coupled with authentic relationship and informed action. Inclusivity Statement: I wish for this podcast to be a safe space for those of every gender expression, sexual orientation, ability, race, religious group and age group. I am always trying to learn and improve on my unconscious bias. Any suggestions for improvement will be gratefully received at astronomerand@gmail.com.

This week I have Will back on the show, good friend and fellow graduate student at Vanderbilt University. Will is originally from Wales, and moved to the U.S. specifically for graduate school. He works as part of the NANAGrav collaboration, and lives in Nashville, TN. He can also partner dance, which I think is very, very, cool! I hope y'all enjoy the episode! Find Will on Twitter: @LambAstroWill's Email: william.g.lamb@vanderbilt.eduReach out to AstronomerAnd: Twitter: @astronomerand Instagram: @astronomerandpodEmail: astronomerand@gmail.comShow Notes:NANOGrav collaboration: https://nanograv.org/Cover Art: iritmogilevsky.com, Instagram: irit.mog Theme Tune: Omar Chakor - https://www.fiverr.com/ch6k0rLand Acknowledgement:This podcast was recorded in Hawai'i. I recognize that her majesty Queen Liliʻuokalani yielded the Hawaiian Kingdom and these territories under duress and protest to the United States to avoid the bloodshed of her people. I further recognize that generations of indigenous Hawaiians and their knowledge systems shaped Hawaiʻi in a sustainable way that allows me to enjoy her gifts today.This episode was funded by the Curb Center in Nashville and we recognize that this land belonged to the Indigenous People before it came to be known as the state of Tennessee, or as the United States of America. We recognize that that Indigenous Peoples were the first residents of what we now know as the State of Tennessee and that Nashville is built upon the homelands and villages of the Indigenous Peoples of this region including the Shawnee, Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Yuchi tribal nations. Our ability to live and work in this state is the result of direct coercion, forced dispossession, and deliberate colonization. To ignore that is to perpetuate injustice to populations of people that continue to seek redistribution of land that was once theirs. We provide this land acknowledgement in recognition and respect of the indigenous people to whom this land truly belongs. We recognize that acknowledgment by itself is a small gesture, and that it becomes meaningful when coupled with authentic relationship and informed action. Inclusivity Statement: I wish for this podcast to be a safe space for those of every gender expression, sexual orientation, ability, race, religious group and age group. I am always trying to learn and improve on my unconscious bias. Any suggestions for improvement will be gratefully received at astronomerand@gmail.com.

This week is the second half of my conversation with Don Dixon! Don is an astrophysics PhD candidate attending Vanderbilt University. He is also a member of the Fisk-Vanderbilt Bridge program and alumnus of the Cal-Bridge program in California. His research interests are primarily in stellar evolution, particularly on interacting binaries and stellar rotation. Outside of working on his own research Don spends time mentoring and addressing issues of diversity and racial injustice. He currently leads the BLack Academic Support and Advisory gRoup (BLASAR), which is a Black networking group initiated from Cal-Bridge and has worked as a volunteer programmer to develop a web scraping pipeline for the Code for Nashville organization. In leisure time Don likes to play video games, listen to music, read and occasionally play the piano and make Blender animations.Don's Email: don.m.dixon@vanderbilt.eduReach out to AstronomerAnd: Twitter: @astronomerand Instagram: @astronomerandpodEmail: astronomerand@gmail.comShow Notes:Cal-Bridge Program: https://www.cpp.edu/calbridge/index.shtmlFisk-Vandy Bridge Program: https://www.fisk-vanderbilt-bridge.org/Cover Art: iritmogilevsky.com, Instagram: irit.mog Theme Tune: Omar Chakor - https://www.fiverr.com/ch6k0rLand Acknowledgement:This podcast was recorded in Hawai'i. I recognize that her majesty Queen Liliʻuokalani yielded the Hawaiian Kingdom and these territories under duress and protest to the United States to avoid the bloodshed of her people. I further recognize that generations of indigenous Hawaiians and their knowledge systems shaped Hawaiʻi in a sustainable way that allows me to enjoy her gifts today.This episode was funded by the Curb Center in Nashville and we recognize that this land belonged to the Indigenous People before it came to be known as the state of Tennessee, or as the United States of America. We recognize that that Indigenous Peoples were the first residents of what we now know as the State of Tennessee and that Nashville is built upon the homelands and villages of the Indigenous Peoples of this region including the Shawnee, Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Yuchi tribal nations. Our ability to live and work in this state is the result of direct coercion, forced dispossession, and deliberate colonization. To ignore that is to perpetuate injustice to populations of people that continue to seek redistribution of land that was once theirs. We provide this land acknowledgement in recognition and respect of the indigenous people to whom this land truly belongs. We recognize that acknowledgment by itself is a small gesture, and that it becomes meaningful when coupled with authentic relationship and informed action. Inclusivity Statement: I wish for this podcast to be a safe space for those of every gender expression, sexual orientation, ability, race, religious group and age group. I am always trying to learn and improve on my unconscious bias. Any suggestions for improvement will be gratefully received at astronomerand@gmail.com.

This week I am talking to Ethan Siegel in the second of a two-parter where we talk about Ethan's career and we deep diver into mental health and how we can all improve the academy. Ethan Siegel is the world's greatest living science communicator. He has a PhD in cosmology, is a former professor of physics and astronomy, and left that career behind to work full time on communication under the banner Starts With A Bang! He now spends his days writing stories, articles, books, creating podcasts and videos and delivering talks to curious minds all across the world.CW: We discuss suicide, mental health, and sexual harassment in this podcast, so please skip this one if it's not for you! Find Ethan on Twitter for hilarity and education: @StartsWithABangReach out to AstronomerAnd: Twitter: @astronomerand Instagram: @astronomerandpodEmail: astronomerand@gmail.comShow Notes:You can find all of Ethan's material in his beautiful website: https://www.startswithabang.com/My AAS talk supplemental material is available here: https://www.jessicastasik.com/neurodiversity-in-an-educational-settingCover Art: iritmogilevsky.com, Instagram: irit.mog Theme Tune: Omar Chakor - https://www.fiverr.com/ch6k0rLand Acknowledgement:This podcast was recorded in Hawai'i. I recognize that her majesty Queen Liliʻuokalani yielded the Hawaiian Kingdom and these territories under duress and protest to the United States to avoid the bloodshed of her people. I further recognize that generations of indigenous Hawaiians and their knowledge systems shaped Hawaiʻi in a sustainable way that allows me to enjoy her gifts today.This episode was funded by the Curb Center in Nashville and we recognize that this land belonged to the Indigenous People before it came to be known as the state of Tennessee, or as the United States of America. We recognize that that Indigenous Peoples were the first residents of what we now know as the State of Tennessee and that Nashville is built upon the homelands and villages of the Indigenous Peoples of this region including the Shawnee, Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Yuchi tribal nations. Our ability to live and work in this state is the result of direct coercion, forced dispossession, and deliberate colonization. To ignore that is to perpetuate injustice to populations of people that continue to seek redistribution of land that was once theirs. We provide this land acknowledgement in recognition and respect of the indigenous people to whom this land truly belongs. We recognize that acknowledgment by itself is a small gesture, and that it becomes meaningful when coupled with authentic relationship and informed action. Inclusivity Statement: I wish for this podcast to be a safe space for those of every gender expression, sexual orientation, ability, race, religious group and age group. I am always trying to learn and improve on my unconscious bias. Any suggestions for improvement will be gratefully received at astronomerand@gmail.com.

Aloha from AAS241!!This week I talk to Allison Kirkpatrick, an assistant professor at the University of Kansas. She is an obervational astronomer, with a focus on supermassive black holes and their effects on how galaxies evolve. She is also the director of the KU Physics & Astronomy department's new NSF REU program, and cares deeply about Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion. I learned so much talking to Allison and she has become a wonderful fountain of information for me. I hope you guys learned from her as much as I did. She is an astronomer, but she is also a woman and a mother – in fact, she had suprise twins in grad school! I hope you enjoy this episode. Find Allison on Twitter (trust me, she's hilarious) at: @AkAstronomyReach out to AstronomerAnd: Twitter: @astronomerand Instagram: @astronomerandpodEmail: astronomerand@gmail.comShow Notes:In this episode we discuss DARVO. You can read up on it here. https://www.choosingtherapy.com/darvo/Allison's Webiste: https://kirkpatrick.ku.edu/CEERS: https://ceers.github.io/index.htmlPRIMER: https://primer-jwst.github.io/More about Allison's research: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KLRjg_gp_k&t=310sCover Art: iritmogilevsky.com, Instagram: irit.mog Theme Tune: Omar Chakor - https://www.fiverr.com/ch6k0rLand Acknowledgement: This episode was recorded in Nashville and we recognize that this land belonged to the Indigenous People before it came to be known as the state of Tennessee, or as the United States of America. We recognize that that Indigenous Peoples were the first residents of what we now know as the State of Tennessee and that Nashville is built upon the homelands and villages of the Indigenous Peoples of this region including the Shawnee, Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Yuchi tribal nations. Our ability to live and work in this state is the result of direct coercion, forced dispossession, and deliberate colonization. To ignore that is to perpetuate injustice to populations of people that continue to seek redistribution of land that was once theirs. We provide this land acknowledgement in recognition and respect of the indigenous people to whom this land truly belongs. We recognize that acknowledgment by itself is a small gesture, and that it becomes meaningful when coupled with authentic relationship and informed action. Inclusivity Statement: I wish for this podcast to be a safe space for those of every gender expression, sexual orientation, ability, race, religious group and age group. I am always trying to learn and improve on my unconscious bias. Any suggestions for improvement will be gratefully received at astronomerand@gmail.com.

In this episode I talk to Doug Simons in the first of two episodes. Doug Simons received his Bachelor of Science degree in astronomy at the California Institute of Technology in 1985, and his Ph.D. in astronomy at the University of Hawai‘i Institute for Astronomy in 1990, before working as a staff astronomer at the Canada-France-Hawai‘i Telescope (CFHT) for 4 years. Doug joined the Gemini 8 m Telescope Project in 1994 as the Systems Scientist, then as the Associate Director for Development managed Gemini's instrumentation program for many years before becoming Gemini Observatory’s Director from 2006-2011. Doug returned to CFHT in 2012 where he served as Executive Director for nearly 10 years. In 2021 he returned to his alma mater where he now serves as Director of the UH Institute for Astronomy. Doug has served on numerous community boards. Currently he is on the Board of the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce and is President of the Hawaii Island Chamber of Commerce. He is an avid supporter of education and community outreach and has helped develop a number of programs including EnVision Maunakea, Maunakea Fund, Maunakea Scholars, and A Hua He Inoa. Email Doug: dsimons@hawaii.eduReach out to AstronomerAnd: Twitter: @astronomerand Instagram: @astronomerandpodEmail: astronomerand@gmail.comShow Notes:The Stars book: Book: https://www.amazon.com/Stars-New-Way-See-Them/dp/0544763440/ref=sr_1_1?crid=67H7X64M6ZK8&keywords=the+stars+astronomy+book+h+a+rays&qid=1672257522&sprefix=the+stars+astronomy+book+h+a+ray%2Caps%2C176&sr=8-1Cover Art: iritmogilevsky.com, Instagram: irit.mog Theme Tune: Omar Chakor - https://www.fiverr.com/ch6k0rLand Acknowledgement: This episode was recorded in Nashville and we recognize that this land belonged to the Indigenous People before it came to be known as the state of Tennessee, or as the United States of America. We recognize that that Indigenous Peoples were the first residents of what we now know as the State of Tennessee and that Nashville is built upon the homelands and villages of the Indigenous Peoples of this region including the Shawnee, Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Yuchi tribal nations. Our ability to live and work in this state is the result of direct coercion, forced dispossession, and deliberate colonization. To ignore that is to perpetuate injustice to populations of people that continue to seek redistribution of land that was once theirs. We provide this land acknowledgement in recognition and respect of the indigenous people to whom this land truly belongs. We recognize that acknowledgment by itself is a small gesture, and that it becomes meaningful when coupled with authentic relationship and informed action. Inclusivity Statement: I wish for this podcast to be a safe space for those of every gender expression, sexual orientation, ability, race, religious group and age group. I am always trying to learn and improve on my unconscious bias. Any suggestions for improvement will be gratefully received at astronomerand@gmail.com.

In this episode I talk to KeShawn Ivory for the second time! KeShawn is a 2nd year PhD student in astrophysics at Vanderbilt University and a Fisk-Vanderbilt Master's-to-PhD Bridge scholar originally from Garland, TX. KeShawn's personal and professional choices are guided by his firm belief that research is meaningless if it can't be accessed by all who wish to participate, and shared with all who wish to learn. When he isn't working on galaxy mergers, KeShawn loves to write (mostly prose, sometimes music) and sing.Find KeShawn on Twitter @keshawnrantsReach out to KeShawn at keshawn.ivory@vanderbilt.eduReach out to AstronomerAnd: Twitter: @astronomerand Instagram: @astronomerandpodEmail: astronomerand@gmail.comShow Notes:Some relevant Astrobites articles: https://astrobites.org/2020/06/03/how-can-we-support-black-astronomers/https://astrobites.org/2021/06/20/shutdown-stem-update-part-2/Website for other organizations discussed: Astrobites: https://astrobites.org/Black in Astro: https://astrobites.org/Cover Art: iritmogilevsky.com, Instagram: irit.mog Theme Tune: Omar Chakor - https://www.fiverr.com/ch6k0rLand Acknowledgement: This episode was recorded in Nashville and we recognize that this land belonged to the Indigenous People before it came to be known as the state of Tennessee, or as the United States of America. We recognize that that Indigenous Peoples were the first residents of what we now know as the State of Tennessee and that Nashville is built upon the homelands and villages of the Indigenous Peoples of this region including the Shawnee, Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Yuchi tribal nations. Our ability to live and work in this state is the result of direct coercion, forced dispossession, and deliberate colonization. To ignore that is to perpetuate injustice to populations of people that continue to seek redistribution of land that was once theirs. We provide this land acknowledgement in recognition and respect of the indigenous people to whom this land truly belongs. We recognize that acknowledgment by itself is a small gesture, and that it becomes meaningful when coupled with authentic relationship and informed action. Inclusivity Statement: I wish for this podcast to be a safe space for those of every gender expression, sexual orientation, ability, race, religious group and age group. I am always trying to learn and improve on my unconscious bias. Any suggestions for improvement will be gratefully received at astronomerand@gmail.com.

In this first episode of AstronomerAND I talk with Alexis Acohido, who is a Remote Telescope Operator for the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. We discuss Hawai'i astronomy, outreach and education, and Alexis' experience as a part Native Hawaiian woman in Astronomy. Reach out to Alexis at acohido@cfht.hawaii.edu Reach out to AstronomerAnd: Twitter: @astronomerand Instagram: @astronomerandpodEmail: astronomerand@gmail.comShow Notes:Braiding Sweetgrass Book: https://bookshop.org/p/books/braiding-sweetgrass-robin-wall-kimmerer/16712606?ean=9781571313560Websites for outreach discussed:Maunakea Scholars: https://maunakeascholars.comJourney Through the Universe: https://noirlab.edu/public/education/journey-through-the-universe/Akamai Workforce Initiative: https://www.akamaihawaii.orgWebsite for observatories discussed:Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope: https://www.cfht.hawaii.eduEast Asia Observatory: https://www.eaobservatory.orgGemini Observatory: https://www.gemini.eduMaunakea Observatories: https://maunakeaobservatories.orgThirty Meter Telescope: https://www.tmt.orgUnited Kingdom Infrared Telescope: https://about.ifa.hawaii.edu/ukirt/about-us/Website for other organizations discussed: University of Hawaii (at Manoa): https://manoa.hawaii.edu'Imiloa Cultural Center: https://imiloahawaii.orgAloha Ilio Rescue: https://www.alohailiorescue.com or donate via their Instagram: @alohailiorescueGlossary: CFHT - Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope TAC - Time Allocation Committee HP - Hale Pohaku PI - Principal Investigator JCMT - James Clerk Maxwell Telescope TMT - Thirty Meter Telescope Cover Art: iritmogilevsky.com, Instagram: irit.mog Theme Tune: Omar Chakor - https://www.fiverr.com/ch6k0rLand Acknowledgement: This podcast was recorded on the Big Island of Hawai'i. We recognize that in 1893, her majesty Queen Liliʻuokalani yielded the Hawaiian Kingdom under duress in protest to the United States to avoid the bloodshed of her people.Inclusivity Statement: I wish for this podcast to be a safe space for those of every gender expression, sexual orientation, ability, race, religious group and age group. I am always trying to learn and improve on my unconscious bias. Any suggestions for improvement will be gratefully received at astronomerand@gmail.com.