Laine Havens — now a senior at Cornell College and three-time NASA intern — grew up with a deep curiosity about how the universe works and a household that inspired her to discover it. All through her childhood, Laine was immersed in science and uncovered to great science communicators by her mom and grandfather.
Her grandfather, a retired Kodak engineer, inspired inquisition into all issues — whether or not it’s the inside workings of a telescope or an deserted hornet’s nest. Laine spent summer time evenings watching Mythbusters or Cosmos, and her mom’s favourite science podcast soundtracked automobile journeys. Impressed by the likes of Carl Sagan, Laine initially meant to turn out to be a scientist.
“I fell in love with physics in highschool,” she says. “I figured I’d research it in faculty throughout to a Ph.D.”
Laine enrolled at Cornell and initially majored in physics as deliberate. However then she found an much more thrilling choice serendipitously whereas shopping a tutorial catalog: science and know-how research.
“I used to be scrolling by in search of a unique class, however then I noticed science and know-how research and commenced studying extra about what it concerned,” Laine says. “It was all about finding out science — the philosophy of what it’s, and the way it interacts with social, political, moral, and historic dimensions.”
Seeing the brand new program made Laine notice she might join her love for essential evaluation along with her curiosity in science. She modified her program to a double-major in science and know-how research and astronomy, resolving to not solely research and talk science however to higher perceive the elements that affect it.
Laine started by working as a science author at her college’s student-run newspaper, The Cornell Each day Solar, the place she later grew to become the science editor. In the meantime, she volunteered with The Physics Bus — mainly a mini science museum on wheels with experiments for youths — and the Free Science Workshop, an after college program providing children a possibility to construct issues or craft utilizing all kinds of supplies and devices.
“Whenever you first hear about physics there’s an enormous stigma, so we aimed to show children to it at a younger age so they might affiliate it with enjoyable,” Laine says.
Throughout her junior yr, Laine began trying to find science communication internships and located one at NASA’s Goddard Area Flight Middle in Greenbelt, Maryland. She utilized and was accepted to 1 specializing in NASA’s upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Area Telescope. Following her first internship, Laine got here again for 2 extra with the identical group.
“Day-after-day right here at NASA is inspiring,” Laine says. “I’ve discovered a lot about each onerous and mushy expertise concerned in science communication.”
Throughout her first internship, Laine leaned into her background as a science author to cowl engineering milestones and craft a Tumblr post that walks readers by the universe’s completely different phases. She additionally produced movies, together with one about Goddard’s biggest clean room.
“Everyone let me take that and run,” Laine says. “I received to jot down the script, host the video, and edit it.” The video, which garnered thousands and thousands of views on social media, was the primary of a number of Laine created to have interaction NASA’s conventional viewers whereas drawing in others who don’t usually comply with NASA or science very carefully.
All through her internships, Laine additionally led excursions to show individuals extra about Roman, helped handle a star go to with John Rhys-Davies, wrote Roman team member profiles, helped collect drone footage, contributed to the discharge of the NASA documentary Cosmic Dawn, emceed an intern day occasion, and supported Dwell Photographs — brief, stay TV interviews with NASA consultants.
“It’s been cool to see a unique aspect of issues,” Laine says. “I in the end need to hold doing what I’ve been doing, but in addition turn out to be engaged in the right way to make it higher — the science of science communication.”
To others who’re all for interning at NASA, Laine recommends talking up.
“Simply ask individuals issues, whether or not it’s for assist or a possibility,” she says. “Typically you don’t need to impose or danger wanting dumb, however for essentially the most half everybody needs that can assist you and see you succeed. I’m very grateful to the Roman group for making it really feel like a protected house the place I might communicate up.”
Typically that meant pitching concepts that have been in the end rejected, however that also supplied a possibility for dialogue. “Not every little thing works, however in speaking about it you may consider one thing else that does work,” she says. “There’s no consequence to it, as a result of both method you’re studying one thing from it — both from the method of seeing it by or determining why you possibly can’t do it.”
The identical recommendation applies to securing an internship within the first place.
“Don’t be afraid to advocate for your self,” Laine says. “When you discover one thing you’re keen on, you possibly can’t look ahead to it to occur by itself — it’s a must to resolve to go for it and discover a technique to make it occur.”
By Ashley Balzer
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.