A View From Earth - Ep 31: It’s Okay to Change Your Mind

Most people assume that students of astronomy and astrophysics are inevitably destined for a career in research or teaching, including the students themselves. Many universities perpetuate this with a lack of career counseling and advising at both the undergraduate and graduate level. However, there are many options for STEM degree-holders besides academia! This week we bring on a guest who has been on both sides of the line. We talk about the differences between academia and industry, why schools shouldn’t emphasize one over the other, and why it’s never too late to start something new!
Dr. Charles Danforth is a former faculty member at CU Boulder who has now moved into the private sector. As an employee of Digital Globe/Maxar, he uses his knowledge of satellites and instrumentation gained as an astronomer to produce global maps of locations all over the world, tracking land use changes, forest fires, and other Earth systems for scientific and non-scientific purposes. His experiences in both academia and industry have made him an advocate for the many career options available to STEM degree-holders beyond teaching and research, as well as for the view that it’s never too late to change your career trajectory. When not mapping the globe, Dr. Danforth is an avid outdoorsman and tracks his adventures in his blog “The Outer Sanctum.”
Fiske is one of the largest planetariums in the US, having served CU Boulder & the local community since 1975. We offer a diverse range of fulldome films, live talks, laser and liquid sky shows, as well as public gatherings for astronomical and NASA-related events.
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