Not many people can say they search for life on other planets for a living, but University of Hawaiʻi alumna Megan Ansdell can. Ansdell grew up in Kāneʻohe and earned a PhD in astrophysics at the UH Institute for Astronomy (IfA). Today, she works as a Program Scientist at NASA, playing a key role in the development of the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO).
Ansdell is one of the leading scientists for the future space telescope, which is still in the planning stages. HWO is expected to be a large ultraviolet, optical, and infrared observatory in space. Its mission will be to search for chemical biosignatures in the atmospheres of nearby Earth-like planets outside our solar system. These biosignatures include gasses such as oxygen and methane, which could be crucial evidence of life.
“This is one of the fundamental questions that we have: ‘Is there life out there?’” Ansdell said. “If we do potentially detect signs of life on another planet, I think that would actually motivate people to behave more responsibly here on Earth. Whether the answer is ‘yes, it’s common,’ or ‘no, it’s not,’ I would hope that people on Earth would be better stewards of Earth itself.”
Maunakea astronomy
During her five-year graduate studies journey at UH Mānoa, Ansdell made the most of IfA’s extraordinary opportunities for students, providing her hands-on work inside premier observatories on Maunakea. She says working at the UH88 telescope was especially memorable.
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“That’s how I learned to observe. UH88 is a really important telescope for IfA students on one of the best astronomical sites in the world, and I had the responsibility of not just thinking about the science but actually operating the telescope. That gave me so much more perspective,” Ansdell explained.
Research excellence, IfA internship
While working on her PhD, Ansdell’s research focused on protoplanetary disks. Her thesis won the International Astronomical Union’s PhD prize for planetary systems and bioastronomy and UH’s Doctoral Student Excellence in Research Award in 2016.
During her undergraduate years, Ansdell attended the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. In 2006, she returned home to take advantage of the Akamai Summer Internship Program co-sponsored by IfA. The annual program offers college students paid summer work experience at observatories, companies, or scientific and technical facilities on Hawaiʻi Island or Maui.
“It gave a realistic view of what a career in that field could be like. I think it gave me more perspective on what I would like to do within the context of astronomy. It gave me an appreciation of what they do,” said Ansdell.
NASA scientist
Ansdell calls Washington D.C. home now, which is convenient as it allows her to see her stepdad, Representative Ed Case, regularly.
She is based at NASA Headquarters and hopes her work on the HWO mission could one day answer one of humanity’s oldest questions, is there extraterrestrial life?