Trinitonian 19

ECOSTRESS launch
brightest minds in the world. My
group supervisor, David Schimel,
won the Nobel Peace prize in
2007 for his work alerting the
world to climate change. I learn
from him every day.
Oh, how fantastic to learn from
those around you! Tell us a bit
more about the work you do.
Being involved in new missions
is certainly a highlight! When I
first moved to JPL, which is the
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, I
began working with ECOSTRESS,
which very accurately measures
temperatures from space.
We use this to map wildfires,
volcanic eruptions, heatwaves
in cities, and even very subtle
temperature changes that
tell us plants are stressed or
impacted by drought. One of
my favourite experiences was
watching ECOSTRESS launch
on a Falcon-9 rocket from
Cape Canaveral! I still work on
ECOSTRESS, but now I am also
involved in the design of a new
mission that will map the earth’s
surface biology and geology. We
call it SBG since it hasn’t officially
been named yet. SBG will form a
part of NASA’s new Earth System
Observatory, which will measure
climate change and its impact
on the whole earth system, from
the atmosphere to the surface
of the earth to the water stored
under the earth’s surface. SBG
will focus on mapping snowmelt,
volcanic eruptions, water quality,
agriculture, and biodiversity in
natural landscapes.
Herewith are some links for those
who are interested:
• https://ecostress.jpl.nasa.gov/
• https://sbg.jpl.nasa.gov/
• https://www.nasa.gov/
press-release/new-nasa-earth-system-observatory-to-help-address-mitigate-climate-change
How do you see this industry
evolving in SA?
South Africa is already making
its mark in the space sector,
with the South African National
Space Agency (SANSA) using
satellite imagery to map
flooding, fires, droughts, and
other environmental impacts.
The CSIR is also well respected
for its work in utilising satellite
imagery. NASA’s Earth Science
data is free to everyone, and so
I hope I have the opportunity to
collaborate with South African
scientists in the very near future.
Would you say that your
Trinityhouse education assisted
you in your career?
I think my South African
education prepared me rather
uniquely for this work because
I have a very broad (vs. high
specialised) knowledge base.
Trinityhouse also encouraged us
to think for ourselves, be creative
in problem-solving, and be
open to incorporating the ideas
of others. Those are all such
important traits for a scientist.
What advice do you have
for the next generation of
Trinitonians?
Work out what motivates you
and where your passions lie
and try your best to work in that
field. If you don’t know yet, don’t
worry. Be open to trying new
things until you find something
that speaks to you. We all find
our way eventually.
You have a beautiful family.
Thank you! My husband, who
is also an old Trinitonian, and
I were classmates and friends,
and we’ve been married since
10/10/10! Our daughter, Maia, is
eight years old.
How do you fill your days if you
are not working?
We love to hike and camp,
and every summer, we try
to visit some of California’s
many National Parks (this past
summer, we visited Pinnacles
National Park and Sequoia and
Kings Canyon National Parks). I
also love to read and bake with
my daughter, and pre-Covid, I
sang in the JPL choir. Hopefully,
we will get back there soon.
What does the future hold for
Kerry?
The future will be exciting as we
design a new satellite mission,
and I’ll be able to spend the
next 7+ years developing new
instruments, watching them
launch to space, and working
with all kinds of new data! And
beyond that, there are so many
unanswered questions about
our natural world and the
changes we’re facing – I can’t
wait to explore that.
What is your Christmas wish
for your Trinityhouse family?
May you all find your passions
and follow them. Look at the
beautiful world around you and
do your best to protect it.
The Trinitonian | 21