I’m a historian of U.S. space exploration who specializes in space medicine and astrobiology. I investigate big questions like Who should go to space? and What happens if we discover extraterrestrial life?
I’m Assistant Instructional Professor of Science Communication at the University of Chicago’s Parrhesia Program for Public Discourse where I teach courses about science, media, and communication. Research for my projects takes me to archives, laboratories, and extreme and remote locations around the world. I also work with journalists and content creators to help the public understand events involving space.
My work appears in the academic journals Historical Studies in the Natural Sciences (HSNS), and Social Studies of Science (SSS), and has been featured in The New York Times, National Geographic, WIRED, Scientific American and The Atlantic.
Photo credit: Jason Smith