Solar System Ambassadors
Shelley Rosenbaum Lipman
When Shelley Rosenbaum Lipman saw a parade for astronaut Wally Schirra at age 3, she said, "I want to become an astronaut." Although she did not become an astronaut, she never has let the excitement of STEM die. She not only been in STEM fields her whole career, she also has presented STEM subjects to audiences ranging from pre-schoolers to adults. She has attended the Space Academy at the US Space & Rocket Center, and even flew on the NASA KC-135 "Vomit Comet" conducting human-factors experiments in microgravity. Shelley is currently a Human-Factors Engineer helping to design medical devices for Abbott, and she is well aware of the contributions that NASA has made in this field. She taught astronomy and physics at Seton Hall University, and has been an Aerospace Education Officer in the Civil Air Patrol for over 25 years, teaching STEM to CAP cadets and adult members as well as to elementary- and middle-school students, scout troops, and the public (at a local National Park Service "Night Sky" observing nights). Shelley's STEM interests are extensive: astronomy, physics, geology, advanced math, biology. Shelley is a pilot/flight instructor, and knows that many youth are excited by flight. She leverages this to explaining the science and math behind flight, to get more youth interested in pursuing STEM careers.