I grew up a big fan of science fiction, like Star Trek, Robert Heinlein, and more, and the idea of other planets and other civilizations seemed completely natural. Physics was my favorite science class in high school — a big credit goes to my teacher, Mr. Curry — and the combination led to my interests in planetary physics.

Today, I live for the “Eureka!” moments when I finally figure out how to solve a problem or discover something totally new. Then I want to run down the hall to share it with everyone around me.