Libby

Libby graduated with an M.A. in Sociology from Sam Houston State University in December 2025 and has been accepted into the Sociology PhD program at the University of Hawaii-Manoa for Fall 2026 start.

Her work sits at the intersection of sociology, outer space, and sustainability, with a focus on who feels that science is possible for them and why. During her MA, Libby completed three internships with NASA’s Science Mission Directorate: two with the Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters and one with the Climate Resilience program in the Earth Science Division.

These experiences pushed Libby toward questions about public science, inequality, and how large research fields are sustained. Her thesis, Celestial Barriers: Gendered Capital

and Social Reproduction in Astronomy, centers on women in astronomy and how gender, stigma, and care work shape their paths through the field. Libby holds a BS in Sociology/Anthropology with a minor in Communication Studies from Eastern Oregon University, where she received the 2023 Outstanding Student in Sociology Award. Across her research and outreach, Libby is committed to making space science more inclusive and supporting students and early-career scientists as they find their own ways into STEM.