Each year, we take a moment to appreciate the varied careers Earth and space scientists have forged. Their stories of determination, taking chances, and finding success are always inspiring.
This year’s cohort doesn’t disappoint.
In this issue we learn about 12 scientists who navigated their fields and found rewarding careers. Sometimes their plans went awry, or opportunities arose, or they found renewed purpose after taking a hard look at their priorities and interests. For Jess Phoenix, that meant running for Congress. For Lucia Perez Dias, it was illustrating a book. Alex Teachey left the theater to study physics.
Some of the scientists profiled here knew where they wanted to go, and they worked hard to get there. After hearing tribe members’ concerns about their land, a teenage Cassius Spears decided to study conservation. As a child, Tanya Harrison wanted to work with Mars rovers; as an adult, she did it.
Navigating a career has been even more challenging for some scientists this year amid drastic funding cuts, mass layoffs, and uncertainty due to shifting political priorities in the United States. These uncertainties put early-career researchers especially at risk, but senior scientists are positioned to influence institutional actions and mobilize in support of their more vulnerable colleagues, says Mark Moldwin in an opinion.
We hope you find these stories as uplifting as we do.
—Jennifer Schmidt, Managing Editor