Experience:
- Principal Research Scientist, Founder (02/11-Present) – Astrowright Spaceflight Consulting, LLC
- Radiological Engineer/Staff Scientist (04/10-Present) – Nevada National Security Site, NSTec Radiological Engineering Program
- Adjunct Geology Instructor (09/08-Present) – College of Southern Nevada, Physical Science Department
- Senior Hydrogeologist (11/07-04/10) – Parsons/Southern Nevada Water Authority, East-Central Groundwater Development Project
- Logistics Officer (12/08-12/12) – Nevada-1 Disaster Medical Assistance Team
- Environmental Scientist (10/05-11/07) – Nevada Test Site, NSTec Environmental Restoration Program
- Meteorological Technician (01/07-12/07) – Sonoma Technology, Las Vegas US-95 expansion air quality project
- Assistant Geologist (06/05-09/05) – Secor International Incorporated
- Research Assistant (06/05) – Eldorado Valley Dust Devil Project
- Research Assistant (05/04-05/05) – University of Wyoming, Anchor Ice Exotic Sediment Transport Project
- Research Assistant/Borehole Video Specialist (02/03-05/04) – University of Wyoming, Bench Glacier Project
Education/Training:
- M.S. Space Studies (in progress) – John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences, University of North Dakota
- RHP Radiophysics, Radiobiology (2011-2012) – Nuclear Engineering & Radiation Health Physics Department, Oregon State University
- Suborbital Scientist-Astronaut Training (05/2011) – National AeroSpace Training and Research Center
- Archaeological Site Steward (12/2008) – NV State Historic Preservation Office
- Gamma Spectroscopy Certification (09/2006) – Canberra Industries
- B.S. Geology, planetary science emphasis (1999-2005) – University of Wyoming
Awards/Honors:
- UW Paul Stock Grant Recipient (10/03)
- NSF/Wyoming EPSCoR Fellowship (09/03)
- REU Assistantship, Bench Glacier Project (02/03)
- Eagle Scout (12/98)
More detailed professional info available here.
Chronicles of an Atomic Astrowright 
Hi there!
Thanks for your blog, it’s really informative and entertaining, and I have enjoyed reading your articles since I subscribed.
I am the writer of the “Up” blog on wordpress, a philosophical blog about space. I have since shut it down, since I felt that it was too ideological and didn’t reflect or satisfy the practical realities of the space sector, which to me are far more interesting, such as the politics, the discoveries, and the science surrounding space. This is what I admire so much about your blog.
So I began a new blog on blogger, called Spacewire. Spacewire is a news blog devoted to current events from the space sector. My main difficulty is trying to find primary sources in public and private space companies, instead of having to rely on other space news sites for this. Do you know any good contacts?
Also I am trying to get some traffic going in my direction, and I was wondering if you could kind enough to do a link swap between our blogs. I would be really appreciative if you could help me out as a fellow space blogger 🙂
Hope you’re well,
Philip Saunders
http://spacewire.blogspot.com/
Philip,
Thank you very much for your kind words and readership! I do remember your “Up” blog, which I found most intriguing, and I am excited to hear that you’ve begun a new blog, (http://spacewire.blogspot.com/) – I’ll include it in an upcoming list of related blogs if that’s satisfactory. =)
As for contacts for content, the best advice I can give you is to frequent the “usual suspects” (space.com, etc.,) look at where they pull their information from, (company press releases, etc.,) and then just get in the habit of checking in on them yourself. There have been quite a few times that I’ve “scooped” some of the bigger sites by a few hours, though no one would know. Also, don’t hesitate to post things you’re specifically interested in. If you have a particular company you’re itnerested in, give them a story – you never know what kind of interest you’ll drum up. And also, don’t worry about overlapping the bigger sites. Even when I want to write about something they’ve also put out an article on, I’ll find a different spin or add to the story to take it a step farther – relating two similar things, etc.
In any event, best of luck, and I look forward to reading spacewire!
Cheers,
Ben
Hey,
Excellent site. Impressive C.V too, you obviously have a huge passion for space exploration! 😀
How long have you been on wordpress Ben? I haven’t come across your site before, quite unusual because I mainly trawl through the science/physics/astronomy/space sites in the hope of new friends and followers.
If you want to cross link or anything, that would be great!
My site URL: http://carinaemajoris.wordpress.com
/Michael
Michael,
First, thanks for reading! Things have been very, very busy on my end, so not much time for blogging right now. I’ve been on WordPress since Feb 2010, actually. So, while I don’t know why I didn’t show up in your searches until now, all I can say is better late than never, and welcome! *grin* I’m definitely open to cross-linking. The space exploration community can use all the networking we can muster. Thanks for commenting, and stay tuned for engaging posts – much is afoot!
Cheers,
Ben
Wow! Amazing blog and C.V – you’ve already achieved and been involved in so much. Go you! I’m not the best at science but shall try to understand and follow your posts as much as possible. 🙂
x
Melissa,
Thanks so much for visiting and for your kind words! I try to present science info here on the blog in a way that anyone can understand, (and provide wikipedia links where helpful,) so please let me know if I’ve missed the mark and something is unclear. I’ll do my best to correct it! Keep questioning and exploring, and I’ll do my best to justify your readership!
Cheers,
Ben
hi..i am a Computer Science engineer,and was looking to pursue MS in physics..space studies is no doubt an exciting branch.i am definitely interested in this course but frankly speaking i haven’t been through any space related programme or course or training.do i still have any chances in good universities offering MS in space studies?thanks
Yes! “Space Studies” is an interdisciplinary degree, and as such, you are not required to come in with a space background. My recommendation is to check out http://www.space.edu – they have a very good distance program M.S. in Space Studies. With a computer science background, you certainly have a good chance of getting in and emphasizing something that caters to your background – modeling satellite orbits, for instance.
Best of luck!
Ben