Edna DeVore

Expertise: Education
Expedition Role: Educational Support
Affiliation: The SETI Institute

Who you are and what you do?

I'm most interested in the question, "Are we alone in the universe?" I've been a researcher, planetarium director, teacher, and curriculum writer. Currently, I'm the Director of Education and Outreach as well as the Deputy CEO at the SETI Institute in Mountain View, CA. I work on projects related to education and SETI which include the "Life in the Universe" curriculum from students in grades 3-9 and a new high school course, "Voyages Through Time". I also co-direct the education and public outreach programs for two NASA missions: SOFIA and Kepler. SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy) will begin operations in 2004. SOFIA is a 747 aircraft which will carry a large (2.5 meter diameter) telescope up to 45,000 feet to observe the infrared universe which cannot be seen from the ground. Kepler is a space mission that will seek Earth-sized planets in orbit about Sun-like stars, finding them as the cross the face of their Suns in transit.

How did you get to where you are?

When I reflect upon my pathway to today, I am surprised that a little girl from a town of about 60 people in rural California is now involved in such cutting edge science projects. My parents were cattle ranchers raising a family and a herd of purebred Herefords in Sattley, Sierra County, California. The ranch has been in the family since the 1850's. I'm one of four children. My brother is the oldest and his family continues to operate the ranch. Then, there are three sisters and I'm the middle sister. As a child growing up, I was close to nature because of this rural childhood. We lived at the ranch (5000 feet altitude) in the summer, and then migrated to the Sacramento Valley with the cattle each fall to escape the Sierra snows. Late each spring, we returned home with the cattle to Sattley. Consequently, I started elementary school in a 2-room school house, but ultimately attended suburban schools near Sacramento for high school. The ranch house had lots of books. History, Shakespeare, Poe, O'Henry, encyclopedias, and no TV. My parents expected us to do well in school, and to go to college. They supported our interests and loved us.

What made you study science?

Why am I interested in science? As a girl, I was interested in how things worked. As we bred cattle, selecting those with characteristics that were desirable to improve the herd, and selling the others, I learned my first "science" lessons--genetics in action. Ten years of 4-H also contributed to my interest in understanding animals, public speaking skills, and cooking and sewing. All good lessons. I found mathematics attractive and fun in school; I loved to read. I learned about the solar system in the 8th grade--there wasn't much science taught in my elementary school, and the PBS, Discovery, and The Learning Channels did not exist. I also studied music, taking classical piano lessons. My family put up with lots of scales and piano music at 6 AM each day before school. All of this was, in a sense, diverse preparation for my life as an educator/scientist. I think of myself as an astronomy educator.

Did I know that I would become an astronomer as a child?

No, I did not. I did not know any scientists nor astronomers until I was in college. As a small child, the only engineers that I knew drove railroad engines. Later, I met civil engineers when we moved to the Sacramento Valley. But the only scientists I knew were doctors and vets. I considered becoming a doctor.

I earned my BA in Liberal Arts from Raymond College, University of the Pacific, in 1967, my teaching credential in 1977, my MA in Instructional Technology from San Jose State University in 1988, and my MS in Astronomy from University of Arizona in 1992. You could say that I've spent a lot of time in school. True, and worthwhile.

How did I become an astronomy educator?

I was always fascinated by the sky in the Sierra summers. Brilliant stars and the glittering Milky Way shimmered overhead from our front yard. We did not have street lights, nor television. So the sky was a part of the evening's entertainment. My father showed me comets and even the first human-launched satellite, Sputnik, with his field binoculars. (The same ones he used to count cattle from a distance.) The stars were simply beautiful. As an undergraduate, I took physics and there I encountered astronomy. Subsequently, I became an assistant in a planetarium (following college), and then a planetarium director, all the while pursuing further education and astronomy course work.
Ultimately, I had the opportunity to devote three summers to astrophysics at the University of Arizona (you have to be dedicated to spend your summers in Tucson....). I've received various honors for my work including a Professional Award for Outstanding Contributions to Amateur Astronomy, NASA Ames Research Center Employee Award, the US Department of Education Christa McAuliffe Teaching Fellow Award, and an NSF Fellowship for my MS in Astronomy.

What do I do for fun?

I return to nature. Road trips, hikes and generally getting away from the city has great appeal for me. When I travel, I collect rock samples from different locations. My husband, Chuck, and my son, Gordon, share these interests. My husband is the computer teacher for an elementary school. Today, my son is studying to be a geologist at Humboldt State University.

Advice for students and parents?

I'm often asked by students, "How can I become a scientist? or an astronomer? or a SETI researcher?" There are many different pathways to a successful career and an interesting life. Most all begin with a good education founded on learning to read, write and speak well, on learning mathematics, social sciences, and languages, and on pursuing personal interests with discipline and joy. I'm asked this often enough that I wrote a short column of advice for students: "SETI Sleuths: Are You a Future SETI Scientist?" Perhaps one of you will become the next SETI scientist to work at the Allen Telescope Array in Shasta County.