Ambassadors
2023 Ambassadors
Anisha Vinod
Approaching a decade as a Science teacher, Anisha is driven by a deep-rooted fascination for the cosmos and the nature of reality. Her passion lies in crafting a comprehensive Physics and Astronomy curriculum that places scientific inquiry at its core. Over the years, she has had the privilege of instructing students ranging from 7th grade to 12th grade in subjects spanning Physics, Math, Integrated Science, and, of course, Astronomy. Her journey as a teacher has taken her across the globe, from Boston, Massachusetts and Exeter, New Hampshire to Bogota, Colombia and now to Taipei, Taiwan where she teaches middle school science at Taipei American School & coaches VEX Robotics. Originally from Mumbai, India, Anisha’s fascination for Astronomy began stargazing in the deserts of Doha, Qatar where she was raised. Her passion for Physics and Astronomy led her to Boston University, graduating with a BA in Astronomy. Initially thinking of teaching temporarily after graduating from college, Anisha’s trajectory took a transformative turn when she discovered a love for teaching and curriculum creation during her first year teaching. She eventually pursued a MA in Education from the Klingenstein Institute at Columbia University. Her proudest accomplishment however lies in witnessing how her students develop an enduring sense of wonder and curiosity about the universe. Extending beyond classroom instruction, Anisha has cultivated partnerships with local universities and museums to provide students with authentic scientific experiences.She currently collaborates closely with museum staff at the Taipei Astronomical Museum to offer tours and exhibits in English.
Joshua C. Judkins
Josh was fortunate to live in relatively dark Ithaca, NY during grad school, which led to first telescope purchases and learning the northern sky. Proximity to legendary Cornell Astronomy provided exposure to and training on the instruments located at the Fuertes and Hartung-Boothroyd Observatories. With his own telescopes, he learned the joy of sharing the sky with others via sidewalk outreach. Josh also enjoys astrophotography with his 12” Meade LX600 telescope. Since 2017, Josh has been a volunteer with the City of Lynn’s public High Rock Tower Observatory leading the monthly Starry Starry Night Program. Through the observatory, he reaches hundreds of people each year through Starry Starry Night and special outreach events including Boy and Girl scout troop visits, astronomy clubs, schools, churches, and camps. For special astronomical events, he streams from his home observatory. Josh was interviewed by local newspaper and has also appeared on local community television to speak about seasonal skies. Josh also books his telescope for private events like birthday, holiday, and company parties. Josh earned his BS in Biochemistry from Ohio Northern University, and MS and PhD in Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Cornell University. Josh completed a postdoc in Neuroscience Chemical Biology at Pfizer in Cambridge, MA and has been active in the biotech community in MA since. After Pfizer, Josh joined Thermo Fisher Scientific where he has been for over 7 years holding various life science-focused technical roles, and is currently a Cell & Gene Therapy Business Development Manager. Josh is a member of The Planetary Society and is a board member of LynnLab, LEAS Lab, Inc., Lynn Main Streets, and Lynn Shelter Association. Josh’s hobbies include gardening with husband Cam and cycling.
Katherine Troche
Katherine Troche is an informal educator and amateur astronomer based out of Queens, NY. Originally an English student at Borough of Manhattan Community College, her journey in astronomy began accidentally during a star party held on Central Park’s Sheep Meadow. Katherine’s first peak at the Pleiades ignited a newfound passion for STEM education and community engagement. As a Title I student herself, Katherine recognized the scarcity of STEM outreach initiatives in specific areas across the five boroughs. This shaped her primary objective to bring astronomy to everyone, carrying her telescope(s) across the city, unraveling the mysteries of the night sky for eager onlookers for over 10 years. Working with New York City Department of Parks & Recreation and her astronomy club, Katherine’s current project is to have the first-ever free public observatory open by Fall 2023 in The Bronx, NY, providing both public schools and the public-at-large a fully accessible resource for astronomy education, with a dream to have an observatory in every borough. Currently serving as the vice president of operations for the Amateur Astronomers Association, Katherine is also a NASA Solar System Ambassador, a participant in NASA Inspires Futures for Tomorrow’s Youth (NIFTY) program, and a project coordinator with the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, supporting the Eclipse Ambassadors off the Path program and NASA Night Sky Network, further solidifying her commitment to promoting astronomy outreach and education.
Leslie Blaha
Leslie Blaha is a high school science teacher at Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, MD, about 10 miles north of Washington DC. She started her career twenty years ago as a ninth grade Matter and Energy (intro physical science) teacher, and since then, has taught all levels of Biology, electives like Marine Biology and Anatomy and Physiology, college prep courses, and Astronomy with Physics. Leslie is an active member of her school union, supporting other educators in fighting for the respect and compensation they deserve! Leslie and her husband love to travel and enjoy outdoor activities like hiking, skiing, and snowboarding. She is also involved in several community theater groups as a singer and pianist.
Liam Plybon
Liam Plybon is a teacher, astronomer, engineer, and passionate astronomy advocate in the backwoods of Longview, Texas. In college, Liam explored everything Texas A&M had to offer in astronomy and physics, where he did dark matter research, observational astronomy, and outreach. Ultimately, he fell in love with astronomy equipment and outreach, helping more than 10,000 people explore physics and astronomy with the Physics Festival, Physics Show, SEDS, and the A&M Star Party group. In 2019, Liam graduated with a bachelor’s degree in physics and a minor in astrophysics. After college, he moved to frosty Illinois to design and build telescope equipment at Astro-Physics. During the pandemic, unable to do in person events, he started to design 3D printable astronomy tools for those without access to traditional observatory equipment. When the pandemic ended, Liam moved back to his native land of Texas to be near his family. He quickly picked up work as a teacher at Longview High School, where he teaches science to a low-income community, incorporating astronomy into other subjects whenever possible. Finding a lack of astronomy community in East Texas, Liam has become a DarkSky Texas Outreach Coordinator, as well as the secretary for the Astronomical Society of East Texas, a small group of astronomers in the area that should soon grow larger.
Michael Brewster
Michael Brewster has been very active in the public education of astronomy for 28 years. During that time he has provided over 2000 programs in a wide variety of settings. These programs include classroom adult education astronomy courses, indoor talks to various special interest groups, as well as outdoor night sky talks. For a total of sixteen years he has given programs at public observatories one to three times per week. He is currently managing Travis County Parks Reimers Observatory, where up to 100 public programs are given per year. He also provides indoor talks and night sky viewing at Lake Austin Spa Resort on a weekly basis, as well as monthly night sky viewing at Westcave Preserve, a local nature preserve. Michael has been an amateur astronomer for 46 years. He joined the American Association of Variable Star Observers in high school. He was on the team of co-authors who wrote the first AAVSO DSLR Observing Manual. Michael received a bachelor’s degree in Astronomy from the University of Texas at Austin. He conceived of a public observatory at Travis County Milton Reimers Ranch Park, pitched the idea to the County, and now manages it. Reimers Observatory hosts a 25-inch and a 15-inch telescope. It opened in 2015 and has been such a success that reservations are now required. The park was designated an International Dark Sky Park in 2021. Michael works as a park supervisor for Travis County Parks.
Michelle Wooten
Michelle Wooten, PhD, is an assistant professor of astronomy education at the University of Alabama at Birmingham where she enjoys welcoming the world of astronomy to hundreds of nonscience majors every semester in online and face-to-face contexts. She also leads Starry Skies South, a chapter of DarkSky International and serves on the American Astronomical Society’s Committee for the Protection of Astronomy and the Space Environment. Outside of her professional pursuits, she enjoys exploring the rich biodiversity of Alabama. Dr. Wooten plans to use her ACEAP participation to give students an in-depth view of the rich diversity in the people, places, and modes by which astronomy is accomplished.
Patrick Fahey
Patrick Fahey, lifelong math educator, undergrad at UC Berkeley, graduate work at Stanford University and SF State, taught Math in the SFUSD for 25 years. Mr. Fahey became Math Department Chair at ISA in the 1990’s, pursued his Masters in Math at SF State, then taught at Lowell High School, a top 50 high school in the US. In May 2004, Mr. Fahey chosen as a National Educate Astronaut Teacher (N.E.A.T.), receiving letters of congratulations from the Governor of California, and Congressional representatives. From 2004 to 2013, he participated in workshops in astrophysics and applied math in orbital mechanics at Johnson Space Center, Kennedy Space Center, Goddard Space Flight Center, and NASA-Ames Research Center, applying those experiences in his classroom. In 2009, Mr. Fahey participated in astronomy workshops at Goddard SFC. He formed a student Astronomy Club to calculate the position of various planets over the semester. In 2010, Mr. Fahey was selected to participate in a high-altitude balloon launch at NASA-Ames Research Center. His team tested reagent reaction rates at various altitudes from ground to 110,000 ft. In 2012, Mr. Fahey did a workshop at Berkeley Center For Cosmological Physics, at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. He was awarded a letter signed by Nobel Prize winner George Smoot. Presently, Fahey produces a radio show on KXSF-FM Wednesdays from 12 to 2:00PM, conducting interviews with NASA scientist Dr. Caleb Scharf on how JWST impacts exoplanetary atmosphere analysis. Mr. Fahey hopes that his work will enhance the goals of his ACEAP cohorts.
Sara Schultz
Dr. Sara Schultz is the Director of the Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM) Planetarium. She holds a B.S. degree in Physics from MSUM, a Masters in Physics/Astrophysics from the University of South Carolina, and a Ph.D. in Science Education Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Wyoming. She has been working and volunteering in informal science education for 20+ years and in planetariums specifically since completing her masters. She began her teaching career in undergraduate physics and astronomy at MSUM and became Planetarium Director in 2014. Sara is actively involved in planetarium programming development and using the planetarium as a teaching tool and extension of k-12 classrooms. She works with colleagues around the globe as well as many undergraduate students in her home institution. She will often be found teaching in the planetarium, writing/managing grants to expand the multidisciplinary programming therein, or mentoring students in informal science education and science communication. In 2023, Sara was awarded Board of Trustees Outstanding Service Faculty from Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. Sara serves in multiple planetarium and informal science associations. In the Great Lakes Planetarium Association (GLPA), she recently was elected to the position of Outreach and Inclusion Officer and received the Fellow Award for substantial contributions to the planetarium field. In the International Planetarium Society, she is a regular contributor and serves on the education committee. Sara’s passion for astronomy, science literacy, and both formal and informal education colors every part of her life. She loves collaboration and relationship building to meet goals and serve others. Her favorite quote, which she adopted for the celebration of the MSUM Planetarium’s 50th Anniversary, sums up her outlook best: If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. -African Proverb
Waylon Troyer
Waylon Troyer is the director of the Kirkpatrick Planetarium at Science Museum Oklahoma. His love for education began six years ago at the same planetarium, where he started as a presenter after completing his first year as an undergraduate student at the University of Oklahoma. He has since received a B.S. in Astronomy with a minor in Spanish from OU and is now pursuing an M. Ed. in Science Education. His young daughter inspires him to share his love of astronomy with students in and out of the classroom. Since beginning his planetarium career, Waylon has volunteered with Science Olympiad, serving as the event supervisor of astronomy-based events for middle and high school teams in Oklahoma. He also volunteers with the Boy Scouts of America as a merit badge counselor, teaching astronomy to Scouts from around the state. Even his own journey through the cosmos began as a Scout, spending many nights under the starry skies of the Sooner State. His first glimpse of Saturn through a telescope was all it took to ignite his passion for the universe. During his time at Science Museum Oklahoma, Waylon has presented over one thousand live, interactive planetarium shows, facilitated multiple space camps, developed a virtual show program to give live astronomy presentations to classrooms around the state, met his wife in the planetarium and got married, and helped design the new, world-class Love’s Planetarium which is currently under construction.
“ACEAP has given me opportunities beyond exclusive tours of world-class observatories and incredible southern skies. Through this program, I have made connections with people that will last a lifetime.” — Tiffany Stone, ACEAP 2018