Who I am
For the past three years I have been working as a solar physicist on the team of the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). I work with two of the instruments in particular, the Coronal Diagnostic Spectromer and the Solar Ultraviolet Measurements of Emitted Radiation. I help to operate them, deciding when they should observe what and coordinating with people working with other instruments, spacecraft, and observatories so that we can observe the same things at once in many different ways. I analyze the data we get back, studying different features in the Sun's atmosphere (like prominences and active regions). I work with the data so that I can compare it to the predictions of different models of how the Sun works. I also work with teachers who are figuring out how to use our data and information in their classrooms.
My education
I am from Evanston, IL, a suburb of Chicago. I'm the oldest of three daughters. I started getting interested in astronomy when I was in grade school (before that I wanted to study dinosaurs), but I didn't really think of it very seriously as a career because (1) I was told you had to be good at math – which I thought meant (yawn) arithmetic and (2) I heard it was very hard to get a job as an astronomer. Still, though, I made a point of taking astronomy in high school, and I was in a high school astronomy club. I took all the standard college prep classes, including math and science.
When I started college (at Carlton College, in Minnesota) I didn't know what I wanted to do, although I think most of the people who knew me figured I'd go into science. I did very well in my first physics class (a feat never to be repeated) and enjoyed it. I kept taking physics and ended up majoring in it.
I still was not sure what I wanted to do, but I thought as long as I was considering going to graduate school, I'd go ahead. I entered the U. of Colorado Department of Astrophysical, Planetary, and Atmospheric Sciences because I figured I was interested in all those things and couldn't go too far wrong.
I started out taking atmospheric science classes, but then I heard from another graduate student that there was a professor looking for a student to work with radio data from the Sun. That sounded interesting – I wanted to work with data, and the Sun seemed to combine my interests in both astronomy and the Earth. I did my thesis work studying solar flares.
When I was finishing up graduate school I started asking around about jobs. Someone I'd worked with told me that her group at NASA/Goddard was looking for a young scientist for a two-year position, and I got the job. When that job ended, I went to the scientist in charge of SOHO at Goddard to ask if they had job openings and here I am!
Therese Kucera
Therese Kucera Video
What I like about my job
What I don't like
- It's usually pretty inactive – lots of staring at computer screens. Of course, this is true of many professional jobs these days.
- If I want to stay in my field, there are not all that many places I can work and live.
Other interests
I manage to keep pretty busy outside of work. These days it is mostly bicycling, dancing, reading, and practicing the mandolin.
Some advice
Pay attention to what you actually like doing, both in and out of school. When you have a job someday you'll probably be spending at least eight hours a day at it – it's best if you enjoy it!
The preceding biography originally appeared on Space Scientists Online, http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/sso/team/kucera.html.