Sceleb | Kasha Patel

Kasha Patel is an American science journalist and comedian. Patel earned a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from Wake Forest University in 2012 and a Master of Science degree in science journalism Boston University in 2013.

Patel currently works as a digital storyteller for the NASA Earth Observatory. She has published papers in scientific journals and has been featured in The Washington Post, BBC World News, and the Travel Channel. In 2016, Patel hosted the mini-series "Earth Expeditions" on NASA TV that profiled research on the world's pressing environmental issues.

Patel started doing standup comedy in Boston but moved to Washington, DC in 2013 and continued doing standup across the country. In her own words, Patel "fills the unknown demand of Indian female comics from West Virginia" and focuses her jokes on her life as an Indian-American and science. She has opened for comedians such as Natasha Leggero, Jen Kirkman, Christian Finnegan, Mitch Fatel, and Vir Das. Patel has produced one of the only regularly-recurring science comedy shows in the United States, DC Science Comedy, since 2014.

In 2018, Patel both presented at the AAAS conference as a science journalist and performed as a comedian. That same year, Patel was named one of the "Best Undiscovered Comedians in America" by Thrillist.

Patel was named the Future-ish 2020 Queen of the Smart Set.

Social Media

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>> Facebook | DC Science Comedy
>> Instagram: @kashablanca
>> LinkedIn
>> Twitter: @kashapatel | DC Science Comedy

Additional Reading

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• Ahmed, I. 2019. Stand-up scientists use comedy to reach beyond the ivory tower. Phys.org
• Floyd, T. 2019. Comedian Kasha Patel studies the science of laughter on her D.C. Dream Day. The Washington Post
• Wikipedia

Sceleb | Shayla Rivera

Shayla Rivera promo pic for HBO Latino's "Entre Nos".
Image credit: HBO Latino
Shayla Rivera is a Puerto Rican American aerospace engineer, comedian, and STEM advocate. Rivera also wears many other hats including keynote speaker, Professor of Practice at Texas A&M, and producer. Often described as a renaissance woman, she uses humor to share her own story, as well as to inspire others.

Rivera was born and grew up in Puerto Rico. Her interest in science and engineering started at an early age, along with a keen interest in human behavior. Rivera earned a BS in Aerospace Engineering at Texas A&M where she also took additional courses in psychology. After graduation, Rivera worked for McDonnell Douglas Space Systems as a rocket scientist, literally, in programs including the NASA Space Shuttle and International Space Station. She left NASA after five years to pursue her interest in psychology that eventually led her to corporate training, executive seminars, and motivational speaking. It was in this role that she also discovered her talent for comedy.

She worked with Debbie Allen to create the hit one woman show “Rocket Science and Salsa,” and was honored with a "Best Lead Actress" nomination by the NAACP Theater Awards. For the same production, Allen also received a nomination for "Best Choreography". She went on to participated in many other comedy events, shows, and series and was honored by Latin 2015 as the Finniest Latina Comedian.

Rivera received the Award for Excellence in Public Speaking by the Latino Speakers Bureau in 2010, LA's “Mario Moreno Cantinflas Award” in 2014, and the President’s Volunteer Service Award from the President’s Council on Service Participation in 2017.

Rivera was named the Future-ish 2019 Queen of the Smart Set.

Smart Stars | Loni Love

Detroit-born Comedian and actress Loni Love may know the formula to get a good laugh but she also knows the formula for resistance, inductance, and capacitance. What are those you ask? Well, electrical engineering formulas of course.

Before her success as a comedian and actress, Love received a scholarship to Prairie View A&M University in Texas where she studied music and yes, electrical engineering. After graduating, Love worked at Xerox for eight years while moonlighting as a regular at the Laugh Factory. When layoffs at Xerox were pending, she volunteered to leave and pursue her comedy career in order to save a job for someone else. Since then she's appeared in many plays, films, and TV shows. In addition to comedy and acting, she has served as a correspondent on CNN, covered the inauguration of President Obama, and been recognized with multiple awards and honors including our very own Queen of the Smart Set for 2013.

She's got science, she's got design (we include the performing arts in the 'design' realm here at future-ish), and she's got culture...a LOT of culture. We're just psyched our Goddess of Guffaw can bring a little science and intelligent insight to Chelsea Lately on occasion...the show really needs it. Just kidding Chelsea...we love you :-)