Meet the women of curation
2018-03-05
In honor of Women's History Month, meet the women of curation. This article is a reprint from the last issue of the Roundup newsmagazine.
The Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division trailblazing women of curation. Seated, from left: Melissa Rodriguez, Rachel Funk, Charis Hall Krysher, Carla Gonzalez, Judy Allton and Carol Schwarz. Standing, from left: Andrea Mosie, Kimberly Allums-Spencer, Linda Watts and Kathleen McBride. Image Credit: NASA/Norah Moran and Josh Valcarcel
Tucked away, nestled safe and sound in Building 31 at NASA’s Johnson Space Center are hundreds of pounds of extraterrestrial samples collected during the last five decades from NASA’s past sample-return missions. As part of the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division at Johnson, the Astromaterials Curation Office is responsible for the documentation, preservation and preparation of samples from beyond Earth’s atmosphere.
The “rock”-star team in charge of these priceless samples, while a mixture of men and women, has a historically female component that some have called Johnson’s own “hidden figures.”
They are Johnson’s “women of curation,” comprised of both senior management with decades of experience and curators fresh in the field. Together, they preserve the seven collections currently housed at the center, including lunar, Genesis, Stardust, micro-particle impact, meteorites, cosmic dust and Hayabusa samples.
Andrea Mosie, a principal scientist who oversees the 842 pounds of Apollo lunar samples, currently has 42 years of service under her celestial belt.
“This is the only place in the world where you can actually work with samples of this size,” Mosie said.
Mosie remembers when she was one of the only females working in her area of curation in the 70s.
“When I first got here, I found it funny because all the sample processors [in my area] were men,” Mosie said. “But, over time, it gradually changed to all-female processors. I used to always say, ‘All right, women are taking over!’”
Curating alongside Mosie, but with Genesis solar wind samples, is Judy Allton. Like Mosie, she also boasts more than four decades of curation experience. Allton started in 1974, where her first assignment was assisting a scientist in opening a previously unseen soil sample from Apollo 16.
“I remember coming to work that day well before daylight, and the full Moon was shining brightly,” Allton said. “I remember thinking that I would get to see a new sample of the Moon up close.”
The women of curation are grounded in their mutual admiration and respect for one another. Those with decades of experience and the new generation operate as one unit and learn from each other’s individual experiences.
“These people are passionate about the planet we live on and our evolution from stardust,” Allton said.
“We have a really close-knit group,” Mosie added. “While we may disagree with one another, we always work together to come up with a solution.”
These ladies defy stereotypes, whether accidentally or intentionally, blazing the trail for girls who dream of pursuing a career in science, technology, engineering or math—reminding us that the future belongs to all humankind.
To learn more about the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/astromaterials
Follow the division on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram @NASAastromaterials.
Victoria Ugalde
NASA Johnson Space Center
The Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division trailblazing women of curation. Seated, from left: Melissa Rodriguez, Rachel Funk, Charis Hall Krysher, Carla Gonzalez, Judy Allton and Carol Schwarz. Standing, from left: Andrea Mosie, Kimberly Allums-Spencer, Linda Watts and Kathleen McBride. Image Credit: NASA/Norah Moran and Josh Valcarcel
Tucked away, nestled safe and sound in Building 31 at NASA’s Johnson Space Center are hundreds of pounds of extraterrestrial samples collected during the last five decades from NASA’s past sample-return missions. As part of the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division at Johnson, the Astromaterials Curation Office is responsible for the documentation, preservation and preparation of samples from beyond Earth’s atmosphere.
The “rock”-star team in charge of these priceless samples, while a mixture of men and women, has a historically female component that some have called Johnson’s own “hidden figures.”
They are Johnson’s “women of curation,” comprised of both senior management with decades of experience and curators fresh in the field. Together, they preserve the seven collections currently housed at the center, including lunar, Genesis, Stardust, micro-particle impact, meteorites, cosmic dust and Hayabusa samples.
Andrea Mosie, a principal scientist who oversees the 842 pounds of Apollo lunar samples, currently has 42 years of service under her celestial belt.
“This is the only place in the world where you can actually work with samples of this size,” Mosie said.
Mosie remembers when she was one of the only females working in her area of curation in the 70s.
“When I first got here, I found it funny because all the sample processors [in my area] were men,” Mosie said. “But, over time, it gradually changed to all-female processors. I used to always say, ‘All right, women are taking over!’”
Curating alongside Mosie, but with Genesis solar wind samples, is Judy Allton. Like Mosie, she also boasts more than four decades of curation experience. Allton started in 1974, where her first assignment was assisting a scientist in opening a previously unseen soil sample from Apollo 16.
“I remember coming to work that day well before daylight, and the full Moon was shining brightly,” Allton said. “I remember thinking that I would get to see a new sample of the Moon up close.”
The women of curation are grounded in their mutual admiration and respect for one another. Those with decades of experience and the new generation operate as one unit and learn from each other’s individual experiences.
“These people are passionate about the planet we live on and our evolution from stardust,” Allton said.
“We have a really close-knit group,” Mosie added. “While we may disagree with one another, we always work together to come up with a solution.”
These ladies defy stereotypes, whether accidentally or intentionally, blazing the trail for girls who dream of pursuing a career in science, technology, engineering or math—reminding us that the future belongs to all humankind.
To learn more about the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/astromaterials
Follow the division on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram @NASAastromaterials.
Victoria Ugalde
NASA Johnson Space Center