Team - Emilie Drobnes

What do you do as SDO Education and Public Outreach Manager?

As the Education and Public Outreach Manager I am responsible for developing and managing all of our efforts to bring the science of SDO and the Sun to the public. My outreach team is spread among facilities in Massachusetts, Colorado, Montana, California and here at Goddard. We work with Museums, astronomy clubs, schools and our surrounding communities. I also do a lot of traveling to various conferences where I teach other EPO professionals, scientists and teachers about SDO, the Sun and Space Weather. As if managing a team of 5 wasn't enough, I also do all of the graphics and web design for the satellite.

What do you like most about your job?

There are two things I love most about my job. One is getting paid to travel all over the country and meet new people. The second and most fun is being able to do fun activities with students, teachers and families.

When did you decide you wanted to work for NASA?

Like a lot of people, growing up I wanted to be an astronaut. After watching the Challenger accident on TV in my 6th grade science class I decided NASA was not actually for me. At the time, I did not know that NASA was much much more than just the astronaut program. It wansn't until much later that I realized all the different jobs and career paths one could follow.

Where did you go to school and what degrees did you get?

I received my undergraduate degree in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I then went on and I got my Masters degree in Contemporary European Political Culture and Identity from La Sorbonne in Paris. I recently went back to school briefly to obtain a certificate in graphic design from the Maryland Institute College of Art.

What was the first job you ever had?

My very first paid job was as an ice cream scooper at in my University Student Union. I worked just long enough to earn the money I needed to go to Puerto Rico for a week!

How did you come to actually work for NASA?

This is a funny story and not typical of how one actually gets a job for NASA. I sat next to someone on a plane who at the time worked for the SOHO Mission at Goddard. I obtained my first job here at NASA through him Two months later.

How long have you been working for NASA?

I started working for NASA in 2000 for ESA (European Space Agency) on SOHO. Two years later I was hired as the SDO Education and Public Outreach Manager... three years later I am still here.

SDO Education and Public Outreach Manager

Undergrad: BA in International Relations, UNC - Chapel Hill

Masters: Masters in Contemporary European Political Culture and Identity, Paris III - La Sorbonne

Certificate: Certificate in Graphics Design from the Maryland Institute College of Art