Introducing the 2022 Aurelia Fellows
Cohort of industry and academic experts bring interdisciplinary backgrounds to collaborations on Aurelia projects
Aurelia Fellows from left to right: Top — Christina Ciardullo, Tanya Harrison, Dana Karwas;
Bottom — Sarah Cruddas, Minoo Rathnasabapathy, Julien deWit.
Aurelia Institute is proud to announce its first cohort of Aurelia Fellows: a group of six professionals who will work with the Aurelia team on an array of projects over the course of 1-2 years. The Fellows are a diverse group of interdisciplinary collaborators, representing many different interests and areas of expertise related to Aurelia’s mission. Bringing industry and research expertise ranging from exoplanets and life in space to space architecture to arts and media to outreach and education, they will each collaborate on a project related to one of Aurelia’s core pillars: space architecture R&D, education and outreach, and policy.
In addition to working on their projects, the Fellows will join their cohort at in-person and virtual gatherings to share their experiences and insights. They also gain priority access to Aurelia’s events and programming, as well as opportunities to engage with the Aurelia board and Advisory Council.
“We are in an exciting moment in the evolution of humanity’s efforts in space, and we need more creative perspectives and expertise than ever before,” says Ariel Ekblaw, Aurelia Institute founder and CEO. “The Aurelia Fellows are at the vanguard of their fields, including compelling crossovers between Earth and Space. All of them have unique skills that will advance Aurelia’s vision of building a future in space for everyone.”
Meet the Fellows
Christina Ciardullo is a Senior Architect, partner and founder of the award-winning space architecture firm SEArch+ (Space Exploration Architecture) and PhD Researcher at the Yale Center for Ecosystems in Architecture. Christina bridges a career between practice and research at the intersection of the natural sciences and the built environment, designing for a sustainable future for Earth and Space. With her work at SEArch+ Christina works on bridging design for space towards sustainable earth development building synergistic design criteria. She will collaborate with Aurelia’s space architecture R&D team on a project related to her focus on building green walls for terrestrial buildings.
Sarah Cruddas is a space journalist, TV host and author. She has an academic background in astrophysics and is a global thought leader in the commercial space sector. She sits on the board of directors of Space for Humanity and is the host, co-producer and creator of the 'Where's My Jetpack?' podcast. A respected space industry figure and communicator, Sarah will engage with Aurelia on outreach and storytelling projects.
Dr. Julien deWit is an assistant professor of planetary sciences at MIT. He leads the Disruptive Planets Group, which is focused on discovering and studying new worlds to consolidate our understanding of planets and habitats. For his contributions to the field of astronomy, Julien was notably named Innovator of the Year 2017 Belgium and Pioneer of the Year 2017 Europe by MIT Technology Review’s Innovators Under 35. Julien will collaborate with Aurelia on education and outreach efforts with a particular focus on astronomy researchers.
Dr. Tanya Harrison is a respected Mars expert who has worked as a geoscientist and mission operations specialist on multiple NASA Mars missions over the past 13 years, including the Opportunity, Curiosity, and Perseverance rovers, and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. A thought leader in the commercial space sector from her previous role as Director of Research for Arizona State University’s NewSpace Initiative, she currently works as the Director of Strategic Science Initiatives at Planet Labs and is a Fellow of the University of British Columbia’s Outer Space Institute.
Dana Karwas is the Director of the Center for Collaborative Arts and Media (CCAM) at Yale. Her creative practice is centered around human reference frames, with a specific interest in the boundaries of sensory perception and rendering the invisible visible. She will work on a conceptual project with Aurelia’s space architecture R&D arm.
Dr. Minoo Rathnasabapathy is a Research Engineer at the MIT Media Lab, where she coordinates projects in collaboration with international development organizations, national governments and entrepreneurial companies to apply space technology in support of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. She also leads efforts in designing and developing the Space Sustainability Rating in collaboration with the World Economic Forum and the European Space Agency. She serves as a member of the World Economic Forum Global Future Council on Space, and advisory board member to Via Satellite. She will lend her experience and expertise to a project in Aurelia’s space policy portfolio.