Kim Weaver

We cannot see X-rays with our eyes and so an X-ray picture of a galaxy can look very different from an optical picture of a galaxy (which you are probably familiar with). I am a science planner for a new X-ray satellite called Constellation-X, which is being built by NASA to launch sometime within the next decade. In this position I am responsible for assessing the science that the mission will accomplish. I also work with engineers to refine the plans for the detectors and telescope and I am responsible for making sure we understand how the instruments work. I have an active research group with two postdocs, two graduate students and one undergraduate student. I collaborate on science projects with people across the world from places like Japan, Italy, England and the Netherlands. I spend time serving on scientific review panels to make sure the very best science is done by NASA. With so many different aspects to my job, there isn't an average day for me. Every day is completely different, yet filled with interesting challenges and opportunities. I am very happy with my career as a NASA scientist and I expect to still be at NASA in 5 to 10 years. I would certainly consider moving into a more senior management position. I feel that I have a lot to offer as a NASA manager because of my strong interest in good communication and my desire to enable others to do excellent science.

I was only 5 years old when I knew for certain that I wanted to be a scientist. I grew up in West Virginia, and my grandparents would always take me, my mother and my sister for weekly drives in the country. One day we drove to Greenbank, WV to the National Radio Observatory and I saw the original 300-foot radio dish. Surrounded by nearby mountains, the dish looked majestic and I became fascinated with it. When I asked my grandfather what it was for, he said that people use it to look at the sky during the day (!) to see stars and galaxies. I immediately knew that I wanted to do this too and I said with great determination "I am going to use that telescope when I grow up!" Of course my family was amused at this, but I was committed. I knew in my heart that I would do it. Almost twenty years later as an astronomy graduate student at the University of Maryland, I was required to participate in a hands-on observing run with a member of the faculty. I jumped at the chance to go to Greenbank and soon found myself at the controls of the 300 foot telescope. It was so exciting to finally have achieved one of my dreams. I only wish that my grandfather had lived long enough to see it. Two weeks after my visit, on November 15 1988 at 9:43 pm, the telescope collapsed due to a failure in the structural support for the antenna.

As an undergraduate, I attended West Virginia University majoring in physics. I took all of the important math and physics classes that were recommended for my major, but I also took many history, philosophy and political science classes - any class that would make me think and help me understand people and our society. Remember that science is not done in a vacuum.

It is especially important today to know how science will impact the workplace, the environment, people's lives, and the economy. Science research is important, but we need to be able to tell people about it. I believe that the most important skill for a scientist is to be a good communicator, not just in writing scientific papers, but in talking and listening to people.

I have faced obstacles as a woman. They were not obvious at first. I was always encouraged to think and achieve as a young girl. However, as I got older, being both a high achiever and a woman became more and more difficult. In college, I faced real discrimination and discouragement for the first time. I'll cite two examples. During my first year as a physics student, I took a laboratory class that was taught by a male teaching assistant. One of my good male friends was my lab partner and we wrote our lab reports together. However, even though we did the same work (and I was the better writer), my friend would always get higher grades than me. Clearly the teacher wasn't convinced that women should do science. Luckily, my advisor supported my complaint, and the teacher was removed from the classroom.

The second example is more subtle. When I was 20, I became engaged to be married. My college physics professor was a much older man who had a way of talking to female students that was patronizing and condescending. One day he walked into class and because I was sitting in the front row, he also noticed my ring. He immediately announced to the class (8 male students and myself) that I obviously would never make it as a physicist because I was obviously going to get married and do nothing else, so why was I even taking up space in his classroom? I was in complete shock and from that day on I stopped sitting in the front row. Walking out of class I tried to hide my ring so no one could see it and I eventually stopped wearing it completely because I had allowed this man to shame me into serious self doubt. I eventually broke off the engagement. I know now that I should not have let this man's attitude cause me to question myself. But, this illustrates the power in a subtle, offhanded comment. I didn't know how to react other than it made me feel very bad about myself.

Luckily I also met other professors in college, mostly older men, who were very encouraging and who took special interest in my abilities. Without this handful of wonderful mentors, I might have been completely discouraged, because it was sometimes hard to face my own doubts and fears when people around me tried to shake my confidence.

Here is some advice. Being a successful scientist takes a lot more than intelligence. It takes courage, hard work, dedication, the ability to be inspired and a passion for what you are doing. If you have these qualities, don't let anyone tell you no. Trust yourself and others will learn to trust you.

And finally, consider seriously all of the advice you receive, but in the end you must follow your heart to be happy.