NCS Alumna Shares Excitement of Science

 

NCS alumna Karen Fox ’87, currently a writer in NASA’s heliophysics division, explained how she became a science journalist and author. Her interest in physics began at NCS; she recalled how Science Teacher Elna Clevenger led a classic experiment in an elevator off of Procter Gym. A graduate of Amherst and the science journalism program at University of California/Santa Cruz, Fox said, “When you have something you love, there’s so much you can do.” Her career proves the point: she has authored four books, had a radio program for five years, and worked as a freelance writer for ten years before joining NASA three years ago. At NASA she writes for the website, press relations, social media, and helps produce videos.

 

Fox said NASA is “ultimately a science institution,” with much of its work involved in studying the earth as well as space. Her enthusiasm for her subject was apparent as she talked about the heliophysics division of NASA, which studies the sun and associated phenomena such as plasma bursts and the solar wind.

 

NASA engineer Don Wegel explained his own path to a science career, joking, “playing with Legos and listening to class rock is what made me an engineer." While a student at University of Maryland, he got an internship at NASA, ultimately finding his way into mechanical engineering.

Wegel spoke about comets and asteroids, and why we study them to mitigate any potential impacts upon earth. He brought with him a wooden device he’d built to demonstrate “reference frames,” the relationship between a moving observer and the phenomenon or phenomena under observation.   Sitting on this “see-saw,” two students were put into “orbit” and tried to pass a ball back and forth; it was a huge hit, with lots of volunteers from the class!  Youc can see a short clip of the device in action here.

 

Science Teachers Deborah Virtue and Brendan Moriarty opened the day with a lesson that tackled such eternal physics questions as, will two dropped balls of different weights hit the ground at the same time? Ms. Virtue acquitted herself well on roller skates, donned to demonstrate the principles of inertia. Kudos to both of them, as well as Freshman Class Dean Kathleen Murphy Shiffman, Freshman Class Sponsors Courtney Centeno and Morgan Eaker, and Advisors Leslie Eckmann and Joseph Kennedy, all of whom helped out during this terrific day!

 
A photo gallery from the morning can be seen here.