Nicolle Zellner / Marci Howdyshell
Nicolle Zellner (right) - I am a professor of physics at Albion College (Albion, MI) where I teach introductory and advanced astronomy and physics courses and regularly mentor undergraduate physics students (including Marci!). During the 2006-2007 field season, I was a member of the Antarctic Search for Meteorites (ANSMET) team, and in 2018, I was named Albion College’s Arthur Anderson Teacher of the Year. I truly value the ability to communicate scientific results to students and others and annually speak to thousands of people. NASA and the NSF currently fund my research projects related to the Origins of Life (i.e., Astrobiology) and focused on understanding the impact history of the Earth-Moon system and how those impacts affected the conditions for life on Earth.
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Marci Howdyshell (left) - I am a physicist and a lover of all things science-related! I grew up in Rochester, Michigan and studied Physics, Math and Spanish at Albion College. There, I had the exciting opportunity to participate in the Longstreet Meteorite Project with Professor Nicolle Zellner. I went on to obtain my Ph.D. in Physics at Ohio State University. During this time I discovered my passion for outreach and co-founded and co-directed the Scientific Thinkers Outreach Program, which utilizes a team of volunteers to inspire elementary school students to enjoy and embrace science. I spent three years as a postdoctoral fellow at the Vanderbilt University Center for Science Outreach in Nashville, Tennessee, teaching interdisciplinary research-based science to 9th - 12th grade students. I continue to be a lifelong learner and teacher!
