Aomawa Shields is an Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of California, Irvine. Her research examines the climate and habitability of tiny exoplanets using data from observatories such as NASA’s Kepler spacecraft.
Shields was a 2015 TED Fellow and is involved in science communication and outreach. With a background in theater and professional experience in astronomy, she creates dynamic seminars to build confidence and educate students about the Universe.
Early life
Aomawa Shields is 40 years old which means she was born in 1983. She received her diploma from Phillips Exeter Academy in 1993. As a student there, she and other physics enthusiasts often got up early in the morning to observe the moons of Jupiter. Shields earned his degree in Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Training
Originally, she intended to earn a Ph.D. He majored in Physics but eventually decided to pursue an MFA in Acting from UCLA. She tried her hand at acting and appeared in the film Nine Lives (2005). However, she was still drawn to space and science.
Shields worked full-time as a helpdesk operator for the Spitzer Space Telescope at Caltech. During the course of their discussions, she was encouraged to apply for the co-host position on Wired Science, a television show produced by PBS and Wired Magazine.
Shields concluded that a Ph.D. was necessary for advancement after considering opportunities as a science television personality and as an astronaut trainer. After an 11-year hiatus from her undergraduate studies, she returned to the University of Washington.
She earned a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in 2011. in astronomy and astrobiology in 2014. She was supervised by Victoria Meadows and Cecilia Bitz and her dissertation was entitled The Effect of Star-Planet Interactions on Planetary Climate.
Aomawa Shields career
After completing her Ph.D., Shields received a National Science Foundation postdoctoral fellowship to continue her research at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. In 2016 she was appointed Clare Boothe Luce Assistant Professor at UC Irvine. Shields is currently investigating the habitability of small, Earth-sized planets orbiting low-mass stars.
It takes climate models created to model temperature and weather on Earth and modifies them so they can be used on exoplanets. Her research involves studying a variety of elements, such as the distance and type of star a planet orbits, the eccentricity and skewness of that orbit, the planet’s atmosphere, and the rate of rotation.
By examining the various factors that can affect a planet’s temperature, scientists can rule out those worlds that are unsuitable for hosting life. Shields was involved in science communication prior to her Ph.D., including her work on Wired Science and an appearance on the documentary The Universe. Shields was recently featured in a NOVA program.
Rise to Fame
Shields’ postdoctoral fellowship also enabled her to develop an outreach program. Shields looked for a way to use her own life experiences to inspire women from underrepresented groups to pursue careers in astronomy. She has created a workshop entitled Universe: Beyond Meets the eye.
This workshop is an interactive session full of metaphors aimed at young women in middle school. It gets them thinking about how a planet’s outward appearance can be deceptive about its viability. Girls are encouraged to consider their own perspectives and those of their peers.
Shields recently founded and directed Rising Stargirls, an outreach program that blends theatre, poetry, and visual arts with astronomy. The group’s mission is to increase the number of diverse women pursuing careers in astronomy. Shields created the Rising Stargirls program in 2015 to inspire young women of all races and backgrounds to learn more about space.
Aomawa Shields biography | |
|---|---|
| Real name | Aomawa L. Shields |
| birth date | 1983 |
| Age (as of 2023) | 40 years |
| Place of birth | United States |
| Profession | professor |
| University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Washington |
| qualification | graduate |
Physical Statistics | |
| Height | in feet inches – 5 feet 6 inches – in centimeters – 168 cm |
| Weight | in kilograms – 56kg – in pounds – 123 pounds |
| Hair color | Black |
| eye color | dark brown |
Aomawa Shields Family | |
| Father | – |
| Mother | – |
| Sister | – |
| Brother | – |
relationship status | |
| Marital status | single |
| Who is Aomawa Shields’ husband? | – |
| Children | – |
Personal life
Shields has managed to keep her private life out of the public eye. There’s a chance she’s married but prefers to keep it a secret for now. Well, right now she’s more focused on her work and her investigation.
Aomawa Shields net worth
Aomawa’s net worth is currently unknown. Well, from her glittering career, we can conclude that she is earning well and living a prosperous life. In the years to come, she must earn even more name and fame and increase her fortune even further.