2025 Residency Fellow
Dr. Gary Blackwood
| Gary Blackwood, PhD, recently retired from a 36-year career at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. He most recently served as Leader of the NASA Exoplanet Exploration Program using advanced science and technology to search for life in the universe. Gary earned his degrees in aerospace engineering at MIT. He is currently co-founder of EarthRise LLC which applies science observations and analysis to scale nature-based solutions for regenerative farming. His passion is presenting night sky tours to connect audiences to the wonders of the universe. |
Events:
Saturday, April 12th, 7pm
The Whole of the Moon: April’s Lunar Spectacular
Please join us at the Harrison House for a celebration of the April full moon – the Pink, Egg, or Sprouting Grass Moon – with an informative and entertaining talk by Dr. Gary Blackwood. Gary will discuss the Moon from the perspectives of science, culture, and the awe we experience through the sense of connection to something larger than ourselves. You will enjoy a view of the rising moon with telescopes and participate in a laser-guided tour of the brightest constellations and planets.
Friday, May 9, 10am
Dr. Gary Blackwood interviewed live on Z107.7
Up Close Show with Gary Daigneault
Saturday, May 24, 7:30pm
NASA’s Search for Life in the Galaxy – A Talk with Nick Siegler
Dr. Nick Siegler is an astrophysicist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory where he works with teams from around the country developing breakthrough technologies to one day directly image and analyze the atmospheres of planets orbiting other stars. In recent years, astronomers have discovered that most stars in our Milky Way likely host planetary systems. Are any of these distant worlds suitable for life? And if so, what would the signs of life look like from afar? In this talk, we’ll explore how scientists are searching for biological and technological fingerprints on exoplanets.
Saturday, October 18
A Talk with Professor Sara Seager
Sara Seager is a Canadian-American astronomer and planetary scientist. She is a professor at the MIT and known for her work on extrasolar planets and their atmospheres.
Sunday, November 16, 7pm
Connecting Earth and Sky
Gary Blackwood, PhD, presentation
Connect the Sky and the Universe to the Earth, Culture and Permaculture.
Explore exoplanets, the possibility of life on other worlds, and the implications for the future of life on Earth. Bring thinkers and dreamers together to provoke discussion on the big picture.
In association with the Joshua Treenial
Previous residency fellows include:
2024 – Gyan Riley, Musician / Composer
2022/2023 – Kennedy Verrett, Musician / Composer