Aomawa L. Shields is an associate professor of

physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...

and

astronomy Astronomy () is a natural science that studies celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and evolution. Objects of interest include planets, moons, stars, nebulae, g ...

UC Irvine UC may refer to: Arts and entertainment * '' University Challenge'', a popular British quiz programme airing on BBC Two ** ''University Challenge (New Zealand)'', the New Zealand version of the British programme * Universal Century, one of the t ...

. Her research is focused on exploring the climate and habitability of small exoplanets, using data from observatories including NASA's

Kepler spacecraft The Kepler space telescope is a disused space telescope launched by NASA in 2009 to discover Earth-sized planets orbiting other stars. Named after astronomer Johannes Kepler, the spacecraft was launched into an Earth-trailing heliocentric orb ...

. Shields was a 2015

TED Fellow TED Conferences, LLC (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is an American-Canadian non-profit media organization that posts international talks online for free distribution under the slogan "ideas worth spreading". TED was founded by Richard Sau ...

, 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 Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

and her career in

Early life and education

Shields describes watching the movie '' Space Camp'' at age 12 as sparking the question "Are We Alone?" 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. From Exeter, Shields attended

MIT The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the m ...

, gaining a degree in Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences. While she began a PhD in physics, she deferred and attended

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...

for an MFA in acting. She acted for a while, including a part in the 2005 film, Nine Lives. However, she still felt the pull from space and science. As a day job, Shields worked at

Caltech The California Institute of Technology (branded as Caltech or CIT)The university itself only spells its short form as "Caltech"; the institution considers other spellings such a"Cal Tech" and "CalTech" incorrect. The institute is also occasional ...

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 ''Wired Science'' was a weekly television program that covered modern scientific and technological topics. In January 2007 PBS aired pilot episodes for three different science programs, including ''Wired Science''. Using Nielsen ratings, CPB-sp ...

, run by

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

and

Wired Magazine ''Wired'' (stylized as ''WIRED'') is a monthly American magazine, published in print and online editions, that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics. Owned by Condé Nast, it is headquartered in San Fr ...

. 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 The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattl ...

, receiving a master's degree in 2011 and then a PhD in 2014 in Astronomy and Astrobiology. She was advised by Victoria Meadows and Cecilia Bitz, and her dissertation was titled, "The Effect of Star-Planet Interactions on Planetary Climate."

Career and research

After receiving her PhD, Shields received an

NSF NSF may stand for: Political organizations *National Socialist Front, a Swedish National Socialist party *NS-Frauenschaft, the women's wing of the former German Nazi party *National Students Federation, a leftist Pakistani students' political gr ...

Postdoctoral fellowship to work at the Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian. In 2016, she was awarded the

Clare Boothe Luce Clare Boothe Luce ( Ann Clare Boothe; March 10, 1903 – October 9, 1987) was an American writer, politician, U.S. ambassador, and public conservative figure. A versatile author, she is best known for her 1936 hit play '' The Women'', which ha ...

Assistant Professorship at

. Shields current research focuses on understanding the habitability of small, Earth-sized planets orbiting low-mass stars. She takes climate models designed for modeling the climate and weather patterns on earth, and adapts and applies these to

exoplanets An exoplanet or extrasolar planet is a planet outside the Solar System. The first possible evidence of an exoplanet was noted in 1917 but was not recognized as such. The first confirmation of detection occurred in 1992. A different planet, init ...

. Her work includes analyzing a number of factors, including the distance and type of star a planet orbits, the eccentricity and obliquity of that orbit, the atmosphere of the planet, and the rate of rotation. By exploring the parameter space of what can affect a planet's climate, scientists can narrow the candidates for sustaining life.

Science communication and Outreach

Shields has been involved in the public communication of science since before her PhD, through her role in

, as well as an appearance on the documentary,

The Universe The universe is all of space and time and their contents, including planets, stars, galaxies, and all other forms of matter and energy. The Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological description of the development of the universe. Ac ...

. Most recently, Shields has appeared in a NOVA episode. Shields postdoctorate grant also funded her to develop an outreach program. Shields sought a way to encourage girls from non-traditional backgrounds to consider Astronomy as a career, using her unique background. She developed the workshop, Universe: More than Meets the Eye. This workshop is an interactive, metaphorical workshop geared toward middle school girls. It encourages them to think about how planets initial appearance may hide the actual suitability of habitation. At the same time, girls are encouraged to think more about themselves and how they see their peers. Shields recently founded and leads Rising Stargirls, an outreach program that combines theater, writing, and visual arts with astronomy. The organization seeks to encourage girls from all different backgrounds and colors to be interested in astronomy. Shields founded the Rising Stargirls program in 2015 to encourage middle school girls of all colours and backgrounds to explore the universe.

Essays and poems

2006: Universe: The Sequel in the Anthology ''She's such a geek: women write about science, technology, and other nerdy stuff'' 2011: Nefertiti with a Calculator

Awards and honours

2022: Kibbe Science Lecturer 2017-2020: NASA Habitable Worlds Program Grant 2016: Clare Boothe Luce Professorship 2016: The Origins Project Postdoctoral Award Lectureship 2015: Kavli Fellow 2015: TED Fellow 2014: NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowship 2014: UC President's Postdoctoral Program Fellowship (2014-2015)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Shields, Aomawa Women astronomers University of Washington alumni University of California alumni University of California, Los Angeles faculty Living people Year of birth missing (living people)