Talks & Outreach

I host numerous events for Montgomery College and the local community including invited lectures, observatory nights, planetarium shows, star parties, and workshops. Additionally I have been a volunteer docent at Washington National Cathedral since 2011 where I lead tours and tower climbs on Gothic architecture and Cathedral history. Prior to my tenure at the Catheral, I served as a docent at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum on the National Mall. Below is a selection of my presentations and community service.

Invited and Conference Talks

  • INSAP XIII (The 13th International Conference on the Inspiration of Astronomical Phenomena) - "Science in Stained Glass: Exploring the Space Window of Washington National Cathedral" (June 2025)
  • The Keese School - "From Galileo to Webb: a Half Century of Visualizing Astronomy" (October 2024)
  • Nature Forward - "The Joys of Winter Astronomy" (December 2022)
  • Montgomery College Television MCTV - "Is That Real?: How Astronomers Make the Invisible Visible" (September 2022)
  • Audubon Naturalist Society - "Cold Nights and Clear Skies: The Joys of Winter Astronomy" (December 2021)
  • Audubon Naturalist Society - "Hunting for Treasures in the Summer Night Sky" (June 2021)
  • Smithsonian Associates - "Black Holes: A New Look" (January 2020)
  • Smithsonian Associates - "Astronomy 101 Seminar" (July 2019)
  • United States Treasury Department (2017)
  • Sea and Sky Nonprofit (2011)

Service to the Community

  • Science adviser to Rockville Science Center
  • NASA Solar System Ambassador
  • NASA Community College Network
  • Nature Forward Instructor
  • Rockville Science Day
  • Croydon Creek Nature Center
  • Astronomy Day on the National Mall
  • Science Bowl volunteer
  • Sonya Kovalesky Day