NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Marshall Shepherd

Marshall Shepherd is an Earth scientist. But he's also good at explaining science. His job is to tell people about NASA's Earth science work. Shepherd even talks about climate on TV. He also helped write a children's book on weather.

How did he get started? At first he wanted to study insects. A honeybee stung him and that changed his mind. That's because he was allergic to bee stings. Then, when he was in sixth grade, a science project got him hooked on studying weather. He built his own weather instruments.

Today he works on "really big" science projects for NASA. These projects are helping NASA to understand Earth and its climate. The big difference is that today he uses NASA's satellites and computers. He doesn't have to build his own instruments anymore!

What school subjects helped him become a scientist? Math, science and computers were all a big help. He also says that reading, writing and social studies helped.

Who were his role models growing up? His mother, who raised him as a single parent. George Washington Carver was also a role model.



Dan Stillman, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies