Miché Aaron

Miché smiling.

I am an Earth and Planetary Science Ph.D. student at Johns Hopkins University researching carbon-bearing minerals within Martian craters using remote spectroscopy. I received my B.A. in Earth and Environmental Science from Wesleyan University and M.S. in Geographic Information Systems from Sam Houston State University. My interest in Space Science started at the age of 8, when my grandparents would take me to space camp at Space Center Houston every summer. I became fascinated with planetary exploration when I learned about the Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity. That fascination ultimately led me to NASA Langley as an intern, creating a collaborative tool that can help scientists identify landing sites for future crewed missions to Mars. I’ve also worked as a visiting researcher at Carnegie Geophysical Laboratory in DC, where I started researching Martian oxalates using Raman spectroscopy as a part of my Ph.D. research with Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. I enjoy painting, crocheting, and volunteering at the National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. I have also contributed my efforts to many initiatives, including The Women+ of Color Project, Space Interns, Black in Geoscience, and outreach opportunities educating DC students about astrobiology. Being a neurodivergent black woman in STEM has been challenging. However, it has granted me the opportunity to learn different ways to navigate and survive graduate school. I’m hoping to share these resources to help other neurodiverse URMs thrive in graduate school, so they can also achieve their dreams!