261:
33:
280:. She would discover that these activities put her βin front of students and kids who may find inspiration in a punk-redhead woman covered in tattoos who also happens to have a PhD.β After deciding not to pursue an academic research career, Macdonald began giving talks at
272:
While searching for a better work-life balance than that provided in research and academia, Macdonald found opportunities to still teach through a combination of conducting introductory courses and speaking at
201:(the latter of whom she even acknowledges in her Ph.D. dissertation) with providing the inspiration to pursue a science career. She earned her bachelor's degrees in astrophysics and mathematics at the
523:
431:
182:
562:
794:
500:
754:
784:
774:
799:
236:, still with LIGO, where she was the first female researcher in her department. During this period she became involved with the Actors Workshop, in
622:
789:
592:
759:
531:
744:
423:
749:
245:
804:
769:
764:
463:
809:
329:
to bring scientific accuracy to their productions. She has, for example, served as technical consultant on several episodes of
492:
202:
68:
554:
652:
326:
293:
695:
284:
277:
206:
779:
260:
614:
241:
210:
82:
72:
248:. She also began teaching at local community colleges and eventually found work analyzing data in the
584:
309:. This led her to meeting and working with science fiction writers in the entertainment industry.
676:
358:
233:
225:
214:
106:
220:
Macdonald did post-doctoral work with the Laser
Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (
334:
401:
364:
353:
141:
729:
456:
From Upper Limits to
Detection: Continuous Gravitational Waves in the Advanced Detector Era
130:
From Upper Limits to
Detection: Continuous Gravitational Waves in the Advanced Detector Era
338:
281:
274:
198:
86:
396:
Baldwin, Melinda (2019). "Q&A: Astrophysicist Erin
Macdonald on Science and Sci-Fi".
177:
is an astrophysicist, aerospace engineer, and science fiction consultant. She hosts the
454:
129:
738:
265:
51:
32:
318:
302:
229:
194:
56:
644:
524:"Astrophysicist Erin Macdonald on the Science of Sci-Fi and Fictional Mentors"
306:
405:
345:
298:
249:
696:"Star Trek Online & Resurgence Video Game Creators On Crossover Appeal"
322:
681:
237:
178:
47:
424:"Black Holes, Hollywood, and Astrophysics: May the Fourth Be With You"
288:
185:
through popular culture, and consults with science fiction creators.
123:
372:, dubbing her in-universe namesake character "Dr. Erin Macdonald".
287:
in the areas of her expertise that link the science to the various
724:
555:"Putting the "Science" in Science Fiction with Dr. Erin Macdonald"
259:
221:
161:
493:"Erin Macdonald: Role Models and Communicating the Universe"
244:. Macdonald's first job after leaving academia was at the
344:
In late 2019, Macdonald became a science consultant for
348:. She works with producers and writers throughout the
291:of her audience members. For example, she has used
156:
140:
122:
114:
100:
78:
64:
42:
23:
301:. She has made appearances at such conventions as
181:channel, Dr. Erin Explains the Universe, teaches
240:, which she credits with helping her efforts at
224:) collaboration as part of an attempt to detect
193:Macdonald credits fictional characters such as
16:American astrophysicist and aerospace engineer
337:course on the science of science fiction via
8:
20:
325:and works with writers and producers in
381:
486:
484:
795:University of Colorado Boulder alumni
625:from the original on December 7, 2019
565:from the original on October 19, 2019
503:from the original on October 19, 2019
434:from the original on October 19, 2019
417:
415:
232:. She also did post-doctoral work at
7:
469:from the original on August 31, 2021
422:Hazzard, Tracy Leigh (May 4, 2019).
391:
389:
387:
385:
755:Alumni of the University of Glasgow
522:Krishna, Swapna (August 17, 2017).
356:in the first and second seasons of
246:Denver Museum of Nature and Science
205:(after transferring there from the
785:People from Fort Collins, Colorado
655:from the original on March 6, 2020
595:from the original on July 21, 2023
553:Sodini, Jennifer (July 10, 2019).
14:
775:Educational and science YouTubers
615:"Another One with Erin Macdonald"
333:. In 2019, Macdonald produced a
31:
800:University of New Mexico alumni
790:American science communicators
730:Dr. Erin Explains the Universe
462:(PhD). University of Glasgow.
203:University of Colorado Boulder
69:University of Colorado Boulder
1:
760:American aerospace engineers
313:Science fiction consultation
213:, where she concentrated in
745:21st-century American women
294:Voltron: Legendary Defender
826:
750:Academics from Los Angeles
674:"Temporal Mechanics 101".
189:Education and early career
805:Women aerospace engineers
770:American women physicists
152:
93:
30:
765:American women engineers
453:Macdonald, Erin (2012).
406:10.1063/pt.6.4.20190509a
352:franchise. She also had
207:University of New Mexico
362:, as well as in a 2023
209:) and her Ph.D. at the
25:Erin Patricia Macdonald
810:Women space scientists
645:"Weekly Space Hangout"
269:
263:
256:Science communication
242:science communication
211:University of Glasgow
110:Aerospace engineering
83:Science communication
73:University of Glasgow
651:. January 15, 2020.
621:. December 4, 2019.
534:on October 21, 2019
317:Macdonald moved to
226:gravitational waves
107:Gravitational waves
60:Ph.D., Astrophysics
702:. October 11, 2023
677:Star Trek: Prodigy
359:Star Trek: Prodigy
270:
234:Cardiff University
215:general relativity
725:Official web site
491:Abrams, Michael.
354:cameo appearances
172:
171:
142:Doctoral advisors
95:Scientific career
37:Macdonald in 2019
817:
712:
711:
709:
707:
692:
686:
685:
680:. July 1, 2024.
671:
665:
664:
662:
660:
641:
635:
634:
632:
630:
619:Mission Log Live
611:
605:
604:
602:
600:
585:"Erin Macdonald"
581:
575:
574:
572:
570:
559:Face the Current
550:
544:
543:
541:
539:
530:. Archived from
519:
513:
512:
510:
508:
488:
479:
478:
476:
474:
468:
461:
450:
444:
443:
441:
439:
419:
410:
409:
393:
365:Star Trek Online
168:
165:
163:
136:
35:
21:
825:
824:
820:
819:
818:
816:
815:
814:
735:
734:
721:
716:
715:
705:
703:
694:
693:
689:
673:
672:
668:
658:
656:
643:
642:
638:
628:
626:
613:
612:
608:
598:
596:
583:
582:
578:
568:
566:
552:
551:
547:
537:
535:
521:
520:
516:
506:
504:
490:
489:
482:
472:
470:
466:
459:
452:
451:
447:
437:
435:
421:
420:
413:
395:
394:
383:
378:
315:
297:to teach about
282:science fiction
275:science fiction
258:
199:Kathryn Janeway
191:
164:.erinpmacdonald
160:
147:
134:
109:
105:
87:Science fiction
85:
71:
65:Alma mater
59:
54:
38:
26:
17:
12:
11:
5:
823:
821:
813:
812:
807:
802:
797:
792:
787:
782:
777:
772:
767:
762:
757:
752:
747:
737:
736:
733:
732:
727:
720:
719:External links
717:
714:
713:
687:
666:
636:
606:
576:
545:
514:
480:
445:
411:
380:
379:
377:
374:
368:update titled
314:
311:
257:
254:
190:
187:
175:Erin Macdonald
170:
169:
158:
154:
153:
150:
149:
144:
138:
137:
126:
120:
119:
116:
112:
111:
102:
98:
97:
91:
90:
80:
79:Known for
76:
75:
66:
62:
61:
44:
40:
39:
36:
28:
27:
24:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
822:
811:
808:
806:
803:
801:
798:
796:
793:
791:
788:
786:
783:
781:
780:Living people
778:
776:
773:
771:
768:
766:
763:
761:
758:
756:
753:
751:
748:
746:
743:
742:
740:
731:
728:
726:
723:
722:
718:
701:
697:
691:
688:
683:
679:
678:
670:
667:
654:
650:
646:
640:
637:
624:
620:
616:
610:
607:
594:
590:
586:
580:
577:
564:
560:
556:
549:
546:
533:
529:
525:
518:
515:
502:
498:
494:
487:
485:
481:
465:
458:
457:
449:
446:
433:
429:
425:
418:
416:
412:
407:
403:
399:
398:Physics Today
392:
390:
388:
386:
382:
375:
373:
371:
367:
366:
361:
360:
355:
351:
347:
342:
340:
336:
335:Great Courses
332:
331:Orbital Redux
328:
324:
320:
312:
310:
308:
304:
300:
296:
295:
290:
286:
283:
279:
276:
267:
266:Starbase Indy
264:Macdonald at
262:
255:
253:
251:
247:
243:
239:
235:
231:
227:
223:
218:
216:
212:
208:
204:
200:
196:
188:
186:
184:
180:
176:
167:
159:
155:
151:
148:Ik Siong Heng
145:
143:
139:
132:
131:
127:
125:
121:
117:
113:
108:
104:Astrophysics
103:
99:
96:
92:
88:
84:
81:
77:
74:
70:
67:
63:
58:
53:
49:
45:
41:
34:
29:
22:
19:
704:. Retrieved
699:
690:
675:
669:
657:. Retrieved
648:
639:
627:. Retrieved
618:
609:
597:. Retrieved
588:
579:
567:. Retrieved
558:
548:
536:. Retrieved
532:the original
527:
517:
505:. Retrieved
497:ASME E-Fests
496:
471:. Retrieved
455:
448:
436:. Retrieved
427:
397:
369:
363:
357:
349:
343:
330:
316:
292:
271:
219:
192:
174:
173:
146:Graham Woan
128:
115:Institutions
94:
89:consultation
52:Astrophysics
18:
659:January 17,
629:December 7,
599:October 21,
569:October 19,
538:October 21,
507:October 19,
473:October 19,
438:October 19,
319:Los Angeles
303:Awesome Con
285:conventions
278:conventions
230:Crab Pulsar
195:Dana Scully
57:Mathematics
739:Categories
700:ScreenRant
376:References
307:Dragon Con
252:industry.
370:Incursion
350:Star Trek
346:Star Trek
327:Hollywood
299:spacetime
250:aerospace
228:from the
43:Education
653:Archived
623:Archived
593:Archived
563:Archived
501:Archived
464:Archived
432:Archived
323:Colorado
706:July 7,
682:Netflix
649:YouTube
339:Audible
289:fandoms
238:Cardiff
179:YouTube
157:Website
48:Physics
135:(2012)
133:
124:Thesis
101:Fields
55:B.A.,
46:B.A.,
467:(PDF)
460:(PDF)
321:from
50:with
708:2024
661:2020
631:2019
601:2019
589:IMDB
571:2019
540:2019
528:SYFY
509:2019
475:2019
440:2019
305:and
268:2019
222:LIGO
197:and
183:STEM
166:.com
118:SAIC
428:Inc
402:doi
162:www
741::
698:.
647:.
617:.
591:.
587:.
561:.
557:.
526:.
499:.
495:.
483:^
430:.
426:.
414:^
400:.
384:^
341:.
217:.
710:.
684:.
663:.
633:.
603:.
573:.
542:.
511:.
477:.
442:.
408:.
404::
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.