When did you first realize you wanted to learn about it?
I don’t think it came from any deep-seated, lifelong desire to study magnetism, but I became intrigued by it during graduate school as an area of astrophysics that was not well understood and that I had avoided because of its complexity.
Speaking of astrophysics in general, I did a National Science Foundation undergraduate research experience at Arecibo, Puerto Rico, the summer before my senior year. It was a great experience. That’s when I realized I wanted to work at ISM and really understood what ISM was all about. It was my first full-time research experience and it was at this amazing facility. Not only because the telescopes are amazing, but because I lived on-site in a little cabin. The cabin that Jodie Foster lived in in Star Wars is contactThere was my bunk bed there.
Did you know earlier that you wanted to be a scientist?
To be honest, I didn’t always want to be a scientist. When I started college, I thought I would double major in biology and English. I especially liked biology, and I’ve always loved writing, so I thought maybe I’d become a writer.
I’ve always been interested in everything. Astronomers often say, “I loved space as a kid, and I dreamed of space as an adult.” I loved space as a kid, but I also loved rocks, dinosaurs, and lizards. I especially loved salamanders. It all started when my sister and I were hiding under rocks in our backyard in Virginia, looking for salamanders. It was my curiosity about nature and my love of learning, and that’s what I was meant to do as a scientist.
original work Reprinted with permission. Quanta Magazinean editorially independent publication Simons Foundation Its mission is to advance public understanding of science through reporting on research developments and trends in mathematics, physical sciences, and life sciences.
