From Wellesley to the Stars

Many alums whose passion for space exploration was nurtured in Wellesley’s Whitin Observatory have gone on to push the boundaries of human knowledge about space at observatories, universities, NASA, and scientific laboratories. We spoke with a few young alums in the field about their work and their hopes for the future. —APK

Anicia Arredondo ’16

Southwest Research Institute

An observational astronomer, Arredondo uses telescopes to collect data. Studying asteroids, she says, gives us information about what the solar system was like when it was forming 4.5 billion years ago. In a groundbreaking discovery, Arredondo and her team recently detected water on two asteroids for the first time ever. Finding signatures of water on asteroids, she says, can help explain how water could potentially get to other planets.

She caught the “observing bug” at Wellesley, where she conducted real research using its research-grade telescope. “That opened doors for me to be able to apply for summer research internships,” she says. “The rest is history!” She now uses the James Webb Space Telescope in her work—the most powerful space telescope ever built.

She’s enthusiastic about how global space exploration is becoming, noting that Canada built an arm for the International Space Station, Japan retrieved samples from asteroids, and India has landed a rover on the moon. “Scientific advancement happens when people of all nations can collaborate,” she says, “so I’m very excited to see new space programs being started, and I hope to get to work with some of them someday.”

Abigail Harrison ’19

Queen’s University, Facility for Biogeochemical Research on Environmental Change and the Cryosphere/Founder and former president, the Mars Generation

A passionate science communicator, Harrison is known as “Astronaut Abby” on social media, where she shares tips, like this one ahead of the Perseid meteor shower: “This weekend is the perfect time to get outside and LOOK UP.”

She has wanted to go to space since age 4, and at 11 she wrote a plan for becoming the first astronaut to set foot on Mars.

At Wellesley, Harrison founded the Mars Generation, which educates young people about the importance of space exploration and STEM. The organization has reached tens of millions of people with digital science content, a student leadership program, and STEM experiences for young people from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Her book, Dream Big!: How to Reach for Your Stars, aims to help others achieve big dreams.

Now a graduate student at Queen’s, Harrison is conducting environmental degradation research, and she’s well on her way to achieving her ultimate dream of becoming a NASA astronaut, having earned her private pilot certificate and other certifications.

As important as the Apollo years were, she says, we are now in the “golden age” of space exploration. “The burgeoning commercial space industry has the potential to revolutionize space exploration,” she says.

Shreya Parjan ’21

Artificial Intelligence Group, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

A data scientist at NASA’s famed Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Parjan works on the On Board Planner, which she describes as a “new, autonomous capability for the Perseverance rover that lets it do some decision-making for itself.” So far, Mars rovers have needed human operators to give them strict instructions on what to do. Now, Parjan says, the planner can schedule and adjust when Perseverance’s activities take place.

“As a verification and validation engineer, I ensure that the autonomous flight software meets its design requirements and preserves the rover’s safety in the dynamic Martian environment,” Parjan says. Her role is critical to ensuring that operators and scientists trust the software’s decision-making capabilities.

She credits Wellesley with challenging her to “explore the relationship between theory and practice,” and for emphasizing community in learning.

“In space exploration, every aspect of translating a scientific proposal from idea to operational in flight depends on the collaboration of people from all different disciplines and backgrounds,” she says.

Parjan is encouraged by the role autonomy will play in helping spacecraft make more complex decisions by deciding where to collect samples, how to analyze them, and what type of data to report back to operators when possible.

Eunice Beato ’23

Department of Physics, Yale University

Beato is working toward a physics Ph.D. and has a background in astronomy research and an interest in dark matter. She wants to continue learning about things “much bigger than us as humans.”

She’s excited to see how much more we can learn about space but hopes that as humans venture further, “we are conscious of our history on Earth and are intentional about being curious and answering questions we have, but not conquering space and monetizing it.”

Wellesley’s Whitin Observatory was a major source of motivation for Beato. “Being able to operate a telescope and capture pictures of galaxies and identify exoplanets was so inspiring,” she says. “I felt like I was actually contributing to science and was a part of a much larger history of women in astronomy and physics who have found solace in exploring space and asking questions about the mysteries of the vast universe around us.”

Wellesley, she says, gave her a sense of community and curiosity. “I have seen first-hand the impact that [community] has, so I will continue to pay it forward by intentionally creating community in every physics and astronomy environment that I am in.”