Aomawa Shields

"There is no one way to be a scientist."

Position/Title: Associate Professor

Affiliation: University of California, Irvine

Areas of Scientific Interest: My research focuses on exploring the possible climates and potential habitability of planets orbiting low-mass stars. I use many different types of computer models in my work, including climate models traditionally used to predict climate and weather patterns on the Earth. I also use data for recently discovered planetary systems acquired by ground- and space-based missions such as Kepler and TESS. This combined approach helps me to determine the surface, atmospheric, and orbital conditions necessary for surface liquid water to exist on the most promising candidates for habitable planets in these systems.

Accomplishments:

• Awarded tenure in June 2020
• TED Fellow (2015–Present)
• NSF CAREER awardee (2017–Present)
• Kavli Fellow (2016)
• Founder and Director, Rising Stargirls