International Space Station astronaut Jessica Meir to hold a live Q&A session from her lunar abode, engaging with two schools based in San Diego.
NASA astronaut Jessica Meir is set to inspire a new generation of scientists and explorers as she takes part in a live Q&A from the International Space Station on January 27. The event, hosted by Scripps Communications at UC San Diego, promises to be an exciting and educational experience for nearly 150 students from Fulton Middle School and Memorial Preparatory for Scholars and Athletes.
Meir, who made history by participating in the first all-female spacewalk with Christina Koch in October 2019, is no stranger to pushing boundaries. Her impressive background includes a PhD in marine biology from UC San Diego, where she studied the diving physiology of penguins in Antarctica.
This event leverages Meir’s inspiring career and her role as a public science communicator to engage young students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) subjects. It highlights the importance of space exploration and scientific research while encouraging future generations to pursue careers in these fields.
The collaboration with a university communications center like Scripps at UC San Diego suggests an educational outreach focus, aiming to make space science accessible and exciting for middle schoolers. Prior to the live Q&A, the visiting schools will hear from current graduate students at Scripps in a pre-event science panel.
The live Q&A will take place at UC San Diego, and the live stream can be watched from the 30-foot triptych inside the Expedition at Sea: R/V Sally Ride Gallery exhibit at Birch Aquarium. The event will be emceed by UC San Diego Chancellor's Distinguished Professor of physics at the Center for Astrophysics & Space Sciences (CASS) Brian Keating and Scripps Oceanography Director Margaret Leinen.
The live stream will be available on Birch Aquarium's platforms, as well as on the institution's Facebook and YouTube channels. For those who wish to watch at home, the YouTube Live Stream link is: https://youtu.be/JeUxdOZ8vcY?t=3860. The Facebook Live Stream link is: https://www.facebook.com/pg/scrippsocean/videos/.
The Q&A session is a testament to Meir’s role as a pioneering astronaut and scientist who actively contributes to science education and inspires youth through direct interaction and contemporary space achievements like the historical all-female spacewalk. It underscores the importance of fostering a love for science and exploration in young minds and encourages them to dream big and reach for the stars.
- Jessica Meir's expertise in marine biology, gained from her PhD studies, aligns with her role as a science communicator, making the collaboration between Scripps Communications at UC San Diego and the visiting schools an ideal platform to introduce students to various fields of science, including marine biology, space-and-astronomy, and education-and-self-development.
- This live Q&A event, focusing on space exploration and scientific research, serves as a tool to highlight the interconnectedness of different branches of science, such as marine biology and space-and-astronomy, emphasizing the importance of holistic education and self-development in science for the future generations.
