Julia DeMarines is an Astrobiologist, National Geographic Explorer, and a science communicator based in Oakland, California. She is currently a PhD student at the University of California, Berkeley in their Earth and Planetary Science Department. She is working with the Berkeley SETI Research Center on assessing the Earth’s technosignature. She is also currently a research scientist at the Blue Marble Space Institute of Science. Under the non-profit Blue Marble Space, she produces Space in Your Face! – a comedic variety show communicating science to people of all ages. She holds a Master of Science in Space Studies from the International Space University and a bachelor’s in Astronomy with a minor in Geology from the University of Colorado, Boulder.

From 2014-2019 Julia was a science educator at the Chabot Space & Science Center in Oakland and won two competitive fellowships during her time there; the 2019 American Geophysical Union Voices for Science fellowship and the 2018 National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship with Lindblad Expeditions, where she went on an expedition to the Galapagos Islands.

Julia spent one year at Hampton University in 2014 researching the remote detection of biosignatures by building a Raman spectrometer at NASA Langley. Before that, she acted as “Space Producer” (aka roadie) for the 2014 tour of the Universe with the House Band of the Universe. Before that, she was as an Education Officer onboard the JOIDES Resolution scientific drilling vessel for two months at sea. Additionally, she holds the position of Space Science Department Associate at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science (DMNS) where she previously was employed as a Research Assistant to the Curator of Astrobiology, Dr. David Grinspoon (the funkiest of scientists) for three years.

At DMNS, her duties included education and outreach of two NASA grants, one related to the Astrobiology of Titan, and one regarding the Radiation Assessment Detector on the Mars Science Lab. Also, she researched particle flux onto Titan, evaluated the impact of Titan educational activities at the museum, and created custom graphic design work for scientific illustrations.

She also on the leadership council for the Blue Marble Space (BMS) non-profit organization, helping make decisions for the organizations. Her involvement with BMS has enabled her to co-create SAGANet (Social Action for a Grassroots Astrobiology Network) initiative with five other colleagues, as well as start her own initiative called Distant Vantage Media Labs – a collaboration of scientists and artists creating media to demystify STEM concepts.

To learn more, read Julia’s Biography and check out her CV/Resume. If you have any questions/comments for Julia, please leave her a note!