Mariel O'Brien

Mariel O’Brien works as an astrophysics educator for the Science and Nature Program at the American Museum of Natural History. She started her career at NASA, working on the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) and Hubble Space Telescope programs at Goddard Space Flight Center. She has been working in the field of astronomy education for 20 years, starting at the Newark Museum and then moving to AMNH 9 years ago. She holds a B.S. from Villanova University and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in science education at Rutgers University in New Jersey, where is conducting research in astronomy and physics education. When she is not busy at work or in school, she and her husband, Mike, enjoy hiking and traveling with their three children