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

Miss Next Century 2020 | Merritt Moore

Merritt Moore is an American ballerina and quantum physicist. Moore's love for math and dance started at a young age growing up in California. Moore dances professionally for ballet companies around the world and completed her PhD in Atomic and Laser Physics at Oxford in 2017 following her underaduate degree in physics at Harvard. In 2020, Moore began an innovative residency at Harvard's ArtLab exploring how AI can inspire human creativity through dance.

Moore was named Glamour's 'Top Ten College Women' in 2010. In 2017, Moore was a candidate on BBC Two's 'Astronauts: Do You Have What It Takes?'. In 2018, Moore started a unique Instagram profile and campaign called SASters Squad (Science-Art-Sisters Squad, @sasters_squad) to support and promote women pursuing both science and art. Moore was named one of Forbes 'Forbes 30 under 30' in 2020.

Merritt Moore was named Future-ish's 10th Miss Next Century in 2020.

Social Media

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>> Facebook
>> Instagram: @physicsonpointe | @sasters_squad
>> LinkedIn
>> Twitter: @physicsonpointe

Additional Reading

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• Butterfield, L. 2017. Women in science: A quantum ballerina dancing to the beat of her own drum. Oxford Science Blog.
• Campbell, C. S. 2018. PODCAST: Torn Between Two Passions? Choose Both. Forbes
• Knapton, S. 2017. Oxford physicist and professional ballerina battles to become astronaut in new BBC show. The Telegraph.
• Levine, A. 2018. Staying on Pointe: Physicist Twirls Her Way to Successful Ballet Career. APS News.
• Strul, J. 2010. Meet the Top 10 College Women of 2010: Amazing Women You Haven't Heard of…Yet! Glamour.
• 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.

Sceleb | Emily Calandrelli

Image credit: NASA/Bill Stafford
Emily Calandrelli (aka "The Space Gal") is an American aeronautics engineer, television host, and advocate for STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and math). She is the host and producer of FOX's Xploration Outer Space and a correspondent on Bill Nye Saves the World in addition to working for Discovery News and TechCrunch.

Calandrelli received Bachelor of Science degrees in Aerospace Engineering and Mechanical Engineering from West Virgina University (WVU). During her undergraduate years, she took time off to work in the Disney College Program at Walt Disney World which sparked an interest in themepark ride design. She also took participated in two NASA internship programs while she was an undergraduate. In her 4th year at WVU, Calendrelli received the Truman Scholarshiop and in her 5th year, the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship. Calandrelli then went on to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to earn a Masters in Aeronautics and Astronautics and a Masters in Technology and Policy where she received the Rene H. Miller Prize for her work systems engineering work.

Calandrelli was named our Queen of the Smart Set for 2017.

Sceleb | Noel Sharkey

Noel Sharkey is an Irish computer scientist and a specialist in the ethics of robots, particularly the use of robots in military or political applications. Sharkey was a Professor of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics and a Professor of Public Engagement at the University of Sheffield. He later served as a chair in the Department of Computer Science before his retirement. He also holds a doctorates in psychology and science and is a credentialed electrical engineer and IT professional. Hw ia also a fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology, the British Computer Society, and the Royal Institute of Navigation.

Sharkey is the founder and editor-in-chief of Connection Science and an editor for Artificial Intelligence Review and Robotics and Autonomous Systems. Sharkey also chairs The International Committee for Robot Arms Control. Sharkey participates frequently in radio, TV, and newspaper articles regarding issues concerned with ethical application of robotics and AI in areas such as the military, child care, elder care, policing, surveillance, medicine/surgery, education and criminal/terrorist activity.

>> Contributions at The Guardian
>> ICRAC Twitter: @stoptherobotwar
>> Wikipedia

Articles on Noel Sharkey

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• Kornwitz, J. 2013. The Case against killer robots. News @ Northwestern

Sceleb | Segenet Kelemu

Segenet Kelemu is an Ethiopian plant pathologist specializing in plant-insect interactions. Kelemu received her BS in plant sciences at Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. She then completed her MS in Genetics at Montana State University in 1985, her PhD at Kansas State University in 1989 in Molecular Biology, and served as a post-doc research scientist at Cornell until 1992. Kelemu then worked in Columbia for several years before returning to research and leadership positions in Africa.

Kelemu is currently the Director General of the International Center for Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) in Nairobi, Kenya.

Kelemu has received numerous awards and honors including The World Academy of Sciences Prize in Agricultural Sciences 2006 and the L’Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science Award in 2014.

Kelemu was added to ur PISA List in 2014.

>> CNN African Voices video on Kelemu (3 part series)

2014 L'Oréal-UNESCO Awards Video...

Culture Icon, Esteemed Expert, and Sceleb | Akira Miyawaki

Akira Miyawaki is a Japanese botanist and environmentalist. Miyawaki received his Diploma in biology at Hiroshima University in 1952. He was then a researcher in Germany prior to completing his Doctor of Science in Hiroshima University in 1961. He became a researcher at Yokohama National University in 1961 and then an Associate Professor in 1962. In 1973, he founded the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology at Yokohama National University. In 1993 he became a Professor Emeritus at Yokohama and took on the role of Director fo the Japanese Center for International Studies in Ecology.

Miyawaki's research has focused on plant ecology and he is known globally as an expert in native forest restoration. According to a January 2014 Wired UK article, Miyawaki has planted more than 40 million trees in 15 countries and is now working to demonstrate the value of trees as a buffer to tsunamis and climate change.

In 2006, Miyawaki received the Blue Planet Prize created by the Asahi Glass Foundation in 1992 in association with the Rio Summit.

Mihawaki was added to the Future-ish PISA List in 2014.

Culture Icon & Sceleb | Yvette Roubideaux

Yvette Roubideaux, a member of the the Rosebud Sioux Tribe in South Dakota, is a Native American physician and public health administrator. She is currently the Director of the Indian Health Service (IHS).

Roubideaux completed her BA degree at Harvard and continued on to earn her MD at Harvard in 1989. She then completed her residency requirement in internal medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston in 1992 followed by four years of clinical practice. Roubideaux then returned to Harvard to earn a MPH in 1997 and carried out a Commonwealth Fund/Harvard University Fellowship in Minority Health Policy.

Roubideaux served as assistant professor of family and community medicine at the University of Arizona where her research and teaching focused on diabetes in American Indians/Alaska Natives and Indian health policy. She also served in a faculty role at the University of Colorado in the Native Elder Resource Center Native Investigator Program.

Roubideaux's career in IHS started when she served as medical officer and clinical director on the San Carlos Indian Reservation and in the Gila River Indian Community. In was in 2009 when President Obama nominated Roubideaux for the position of Director of IHS and she was confirmed in the position in May of that year becoming the first female to be appointed to the position.

Roubideaux was added to our PISA List in 2013.

Sceleb | James H. Fowler

James H. Fowler is an American interdisciplinary research scientist. His research and publications focus on behavior, evolution, genetics, politics, and social networks offering him the opportunity to work in both the natural and social sciences.

Fowler completed his BA degree at Harvard in 1992 and then served in the Peace Corps from 1992 to 1994 in Ecuador. Fowler then received a MA in International Relations from Yale in 1997 followed by MA in Government at Harvard in 2001 and a Phd in Government from Harvard in 2003. Fowler is currently Professor of Medical Genetics and Professor of Political Science at the UC San Diego.

Fowler has authored many articles in both academic and mainstream media. Fowler and his work has appeared on many television shows as a subject matter expert, including Good Morning America, NBC Nightly News, CBS Evening News, PBS NewsHour, and The Colbert Report.

In 2010, Fowler named a Fellow of the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation. In addition, Fowler was named one of Foreign Policy's Top 100 Global Thinkers, TechCrunch's Most Innovative People in Democracy, and Most Original Thinker of the year by The McLaughlin Group.

Fowler's 2011 book with Nicholas Christakis, Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives -- How Your Friends' Friends' Friends Affect Everything You Feel, Think, and Do won the Books for a Better Life Award, has been translated into twenty languages, was named an Editor's Choice by the New York Times Book Review, and featured in Wired, Oprah's Reading Guide, Business Week's Best Books of the Year, GOOD's 15 Books You Must Read, and a cover story in New York Times Magazine.

Fowler was added to our PISA Lis in 2013.

>> Twitter: @James_H_Fowler
>> Wikipedia

Sceleb | Pardis Sabeti

Pardis Sabeti is an American computational geneticist. Born in Tehran, Sabeti's family moved to the US from Iran when she was four years old.

Sabeti completed a BS in biology at MIT where she was also class president and a member of the varsity tennis team. She was Rhodes Scholar at Oxford and received a doctorate in evolutionary genetics in 2002. In 2006, Sabeti completed a MD, summa cum laude, at Harvard Medical School. Sabeti is now an associate professor Harvard University in the Center for Systems Biology and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology. She also holds positions at the Harvard School of Public Health the Broad Institute.

Sabeti's awards include a Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Award in the Biomedical Sciences, a Packard Foundation award in Science and Engineering, and an NIH Innovator Award. She also received awards from NIAID, TMTI, and the Gates Foundation and is a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, a PopTech Science Fellow, and a National Geographic Emerging Explorer.

Firmly in the 'rockstar scientist' category, Sabeti is also the lead singer and writer for the alternative rock band Thousand Days.

Sabeti also debuted on our Stylish Scientist List in 2013.

Sceleb, Smart Star | Bill Nye

Bill Nye, aka "Bill Nye the Science Guy", is an American scientist, science educator, and actor. He is considered by many to be the most famous and recognized scientific personality in popular culture today.

Nye received a BS in mechanical engineering form Cornell University in 1977, the famous astronomer Carl Sagan happened to be one of his professors. Nye worked at Boeing in Seattle for several years and then as a consultant to the aeronautics industry. He applied to be an astronaut at NASA several times as well.

Nye's career as 'Bill Nye the Science Guy' started on the Seattle late night comedy show, Almost Live. Nye then worked on several other television shows including the PBS series, Bill Nye the Science Guy that aired from 1993 to 1998. Since then, Nye has continued to appear in television shows, movies, and other entertainment media as 'Bill Nye the Science Guy' and in other roles. He has written several books and appears as a science advocate on many talk shows including Larry King Live, CNN, and many others. In 2013, Nye, a self-proclaimed swing dancer, competed in Dancing with the Stars lasting to round three when he sustained a tendon injury.

Nye has participated in scientific projects such as the Mars Rover missions, served as a spokesperson for many special projects and causes, and even holds several patents. Nye has been awarded three honorary doctorates and in 2010, he received the 2010 Humanist of the Year Award from the American Humanist Association.

Nye's sustainable lifestyle choices and trademark bow tie has landed him on our Stylish Scientist List two years in a row.

>> Facebook
>> IMDB
>> Twitter
>> Wikipedia

Design Idol & Sceleb | Judy Lee

Judy Lee is an American product designer and TV Host. As the child of a civil engineer, Lee's interest in engineering started early but it was in high school that she decided to pursue engineering. Later, Lee earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering and a MS in Industrial Design from North Carolina State University. While in graduate school, one of her designs was chosen for production by IKEA. Lee currently works as a Senior Project Leader and Principle Product Designer for IDEO in California.

Lee is best known for her work on PBS's Design Squad Nation and also appeared on WGBH's Engineer Your Life and NOVA's Secret Life of Scientists & Engineers web series.

>> Judy Lee at TedxEastside Prep

Sceleb | Diane Nalini de Kerchkov

Diane Nalini de Kerckhov is a Canadian physicist, Rhodes Scholar, and jazz singer. She received her PhD in Materials Science from Oxford in 1999, completed post-docs at Oxford from 1999 to 2002, and was an Assistant Professor in the physics department at the University of Guelph from 2005 until 2011 when she joined Environment Canada as a policy analyst.

De Kerchkov's career as an international jazz singer was rooted in her training in ballet, jazz, and modern dance. In 2001, she was one of two finalists for the UK's Young Jazz Vocalist of the Year awards and was nominated for the Grand Prix de Jazz General Motors at the 2002 Montreal International Jazz Festival. De Kerchkov writes and sings in four languages and has released four CDs. Her most recent collection, Kiss me Like That, was inspired by her work in physics and astronomy. She performed at events around the world including events for President Bill Clinton and Sir Paul McCartney.

Below is her May 2013 talk and performance at TedxDawsonCollege:

Sceleb | Wallace "J" Nichols

Wallace J. Nichols (aka "J") is an American marine biologist, conservation activist, and outdoor enthusiast. He earned a BS in Biological Sciences from DePauw University in 1989, a Master of Environmental Management from Duke University in 1992, and a PhD in Wildlife and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Arizona in 2003.

Nichols is currently a a Research Associate at California Academy of Sciences and founder/co-director of Ocean Revolution, an international network of young ocean advocates and LiVEBLUE. He is particularly active in Pacific Sea Turtle conservation efforts and sustainable fisheries. Nichols has helped start many conservation nonprofits and projects and is a frequent contributor to mainstream magazines and websites. When not championing marine conservation, you might find Nichols swimming, hiking, kayaking, trail running, fixing up vintage trucks, or surfing.

Sceleb | Garrett Lisi

A. Garrett Lisi is an American theoretical physicist and multi-sport surfer (water, snow, air, and asphalt). Lisi completed a B.S. in Physics and a B.S. in Mathematics from UCLA in 1991 and a PhD in Physics in 1999 from UC San Diego where he received UC Regents and ARCS Foundation fellowships.

Although he has held academic positions, Lisi currently works as an independent researcher on the island of Maui in Hawaii. Lisi is widely known for his paper, "An Exceptionally Simple Theory of Everything", that proposed a theory to unify particle physics with Einstein's theory of gravitation using the E8 Lie Group (a group of mathematical, continuous symmetries that produce a particular multi-dimensional geometric shape). Lisi's theory maps forces and particles to this E8 shape, producing a stunning, yet elegant pattern to quantum scale physics of the universe. A strong advocate of living life to its fullest and balancing life with work, Lisi is as likely to be catching the next wave as he is to be writing the next chapter in modern physics.

Sceleb | Nina Tandon

Nina Tandon is an American electrical and biomedical engineer. She currently conducts research at Columbia University's Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering and is an adjunct professor of Electrical Engineering at the Cooper Union.

Tandon received a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering from The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, Electrical Engineering in 2001, an MS in Electrical Engineering from MIT in 2006, and a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Columbia in 2009 for which she studied electrical stimulation in cardiac tissue engineering. She was also a Fulbright Scholar in Tor Vergata University in Rome, Italy between 2003 and 2004 where she researched electronic odor detection. Tandon was a Columbia and MIT Presidential Fellow and she was chosen as a Ted Fellow in 2011. Avocations include drums, photography, yoga, running, metalsmithing, playing with puppies, baking, and exploring. How she finds time to do all this, we have no idea but we are thrilled to have her among our most creative and inspiring Scelebs.

Sceleb | Don Vaughn

Don Vaughn is an American neuroscientist, model, and musician. Vaughn earned degrees in physics and economics from Stanford in 2008 and currently works at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston in the David Eagleman Laboratory for Perception and Action.

Vaughn began drumming as a teenager and joined Houston alt-rock band, Via Linda, after college. When the band broke up he chose to focus on DJ-drummer formats. Vaughn's science and music worlds collided when he applied his background in perceptual neuroscience to craft his own, custom, LED-lit electronic drum set. Vaughn is also a fashion, commercial print, editorial, fitness, and runway model represented by Page Parkes Corporation. Last but not least, he's a surfer, which seems to be a common pastime of many of our favorite scelebs.

Sceleb | Debbie Berebichez

Image credit: Miller Mobley via Wired
Debbie Berebichez is a physicist and science promotor. Berebichez received her B.A. in Physics and Philosophy from Brandeis University in 1996, a MS in Physics from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) in 1998, another MS in Physics from Stanford in 2000, and her PhD in physics from Stanford in 2004...the first Mexican woman to do so. She took on two postdoctoral fellowships in applied mathematics and physics and conducted further research at Columbia University's Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics department as well as at New York University's Courant Institute for Mathematical Sciences. She speaks five languages. Berebichez is currently Principal Scientist at ThoughtWorks and TV Host at the Science Channel. We've been fans ever since her oh-so-fabulous The Newtonian Physics of Manolo Blahniks.

Berebichez has topped our Stylish Scientist List for many years and also appears in our Citizens of the Next Century List.

Sceleb | Brian Cox

Brian Cox is a British particle physicist, a Royal Society University Research Fellow, a member of the High Energy Physics group at the University of Manchester where he is a professor, and a frequent host of science programs for BBC radio and television.

Cox studied physics at the University of Manchester, earning an undergraduate, a Master of Philosophy, and finally a PhD in particle physics in 1998. Cox collected some rockstar credentials along the way as well. He played keyboard for the band, Dare, in the 1980s and then joined the rock band, D:Ream, in 1993 which had several UK chart hits, including the number one, "Things Can Only Get Better".

Cox has received many honors for his work and for promoting science. He received the British Association's Lord Kelvin Award in 2006. In 2010 he won the Institute of Physics Kelvin Prize and was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the Queen's 2010 Birthday Honours for services to science. 2011 was a big year for Cox as well, he won Best Presenter and Best Science/Natural History program from the Royal Television Society for the show Wonders of the Solar System and received two awards from the Broadcasting Press Guild Awards for 'Best Performer' in a non-acting role and Wonders of the Solar System was named best documentary series of 2010. Here at Future-ish, we dream of the days when scientists will be rockstars...Brian Cox is already living it!

Sceleb, Esteemed Expert | David Suzuki

(Image: Chris Young/The Canadian Press)
Dr. David Suzuki is a Japanese Canadian zoologist, geneticist, author, television and radio host, and environmentalist. Suzuki's Japanese name is Takayoshi Suzuki.

At the age of six, Suzuki, along with his mother and two sisters, were interned in British Columbia during the World War II after Suzuki's father had been sent to a labor camp. After the war, the Suzukis were forced to move to Ontario. Suzuki credits his father and his time spent at the camps in Canadian forests for cultivating his passion for nature.

Suzuki completed his BA at Amherst College in 1958 and in 1961 received his Ph.D in zoology from the University of Chicago. Suzuki was then professor in the University of British Columbia Genetics Department until he retired in 2001. Throughout his career, Suzuki has received 23 honorary doctorate degrees. Although Suzuki has participated in many radio and television projects, he is perhaps best recognized as host of The Nature of Things, a CBC science series that has been syndicated in over forty countries.

Suzuki is the recipient of the Order of Canada, the Order of British Columbia (1995), UNESCO’s Kalinga Prize for Science, the Canadian Geographic Citation of Lifetime Achievement, and the Right Livelihood Award among many others. Suzuki is an outspoken environmentalist and in 1990 co-founded the David Suzuki Foundation with Tara Cullis "to protect the diversity of nature and our quality of life, now and for the future". Suzuki's work with his Foundation offers him the opportunity to speak on a diversity of topics ranging from clean energy and sustainable development to climate change and fisheries.

Future-ish added Dr. Suzuki to our PISA List in 2010.