Associate Professor Allison Jaynes Ph.D., University of Iowa

Dr. Jaynes' research focuses on space weather and how that connects to atmospheric and auroral physics. She is involved in several NASA missions that study near-Earth space (MMS and the Van Allen Probes) as well as smaller payloads such as sounding rockets and CubeSats. Jaynes' research relates to the dynamics (ebbs and flows) of highly energetic charged particles in the space environment. She is deeply committed to equity and inclusion in STEM and is passionate about active learning and positive team dynamics.

Edward Gonzales Ph.D., NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

An avid music lover and sneakerhead, Edward Gonzales has built a life walking the walk from street smart to business-savvy, first at one of Los Angeles's prestigious law firms, then to "student-whisperer" at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in the former Office of Education (now Office of STEM engagement), working with Underserved, Underrepresented Communities. Edward also supported the Office of Education and Public Outreach for the Science Mission Directorate with a focus on Planetary Science. As a NASA Headquarters detailee he focused on training the staff at each NASA center on educational metrics and evaluation. After returning to JPL supporting several MUREP programs, he completed a one-year Fellowship at NASA HQ in the Office of STEM Engagement. Now, as NASA Goddard Space Flight Center's diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility lead for Heliophysics, he brings his unique blend of experience to one of NASA's most prestigious science areas. Edward has been honored by many NASA awards and recognition and has made it his personal mission to ensure that the agency's future workforce is more diverse and equitable than when he started his career there two decades ago. Having lost his father as a young teen, experienced police profiling and gang violence, he can relate to the struggles that many students face as they embark on their college and career journeys. He has been a keynote speaker at dozens of Universities, Community Colleges, Trade Techs and High Schools across the nation and internationally as well as a panelist and moderator for various National STEM Conferences, Organizations and other STEM related events around the globe. He is eager to share that all paths to NASA aren't linear and emphasizes the critical importance of creating a workforce pipeline that starts in school, leading to an exciting current project called "Permission to Dream," collaborating with Christopher Gardner (The Pursuit of Happyness) to present inspirational talks at one thousand highs schools across the United States. Edward is the consummate comeback kid -- all setbacks set you up for a comeback.