Intro to Astronomy

Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi, PhD, is currently the Space Sciences Education Manager for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, in addition to being Distinguished Research Professor of Physics and Space Sciences at the Florida Institute of Technology.

Dr. Oluseyi is also the Chief Science Officer of the Science Channel, and is a leading authority on space in the media. He has appeared on numerous television shows, including How the Universe Works, NASA's Unexplained Files, and Space's Deepest Secrets.

Over his career, he has contributed to many areas of science. Among other things, he helped to design, build, calibrate, and launch the Multi-Spectral Solar Telescope Array; he is known for his research on the transfer of mass and energy through the Sun's atmosphere; and he has contributed to the development of important technologies including ultraviolet optics, detectors, computer chips, and ion propulsion.

Dr. Jackie Faherty, PhD, is the American Museum of Natural History’s Senior Scientist and Senior Education Manager. Her unique position at the Museum allows her to pursue scientific research at the forefront of exoplanet characterization studies while still being able to mentor and advise education programs for students and the general public.

Dr. Faherty earned her B.S. in Physics at the University of Notre Dame and her PhD in Physics at Stony Brook University. She is the co-founder of Backyard Worlds: Planet 9, a citizen science project that asks the public to scan our solar neighborhood for cold worlds we’ve previously missed.

Her research focuses primarily on infrared astrometry and brown dwarfs. She is the author of more than 90 peer reviewed articles in Astrophysical journals and is regularly found giving public lectures in the Hayden Planetarium.

Dr. David Grinspoon, PhD is a leading astrobiologist and Senior Scientist at the Planetary Science Institute, who serves as an advisor to NASA on space exploration strategy.

Beyond his scientific research into exoplanets, Dr. Grinspoon is a prolific and award-winning writer. In addition to his four books, his writing has appeared in numerous publications, including The New York Times, The Boston Globe, and Scientific American. He’s also made numerous television appearances, and has been a recurring guest (and guest host) on StarTalk.

When he isn’t building the foundation for humanity’s search for extraterrestrial life, his extracurriculars include music. He is an avid guitarist who currently plays with his rock group “The House Band of The Universe.”

Michelle Thaller, PhD, holds many titles — she is the Assistant Director of Science Communication at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, as well as an Astrophysicist and Science Communications Strategist for NASA.

Thaller earned her B.S. in Astrophysics from Harvard and a PhD from Georgia State University. Her research has covered everything from colliding stellar winds to hot stars, binary star evolution, and evolved stellar companions.

She writes a monthly science column for the Christian Science Monitor and is a regular on-camera contributor for The History Channel and Science Channel. When her eyes aren’t trained on the skies, she can be found singing, acting, painting, drawing, or writing.