Igniting Discovery: A showcase of NASA-funded research

Also in this episode:

• Julianna Charlene Kolczynski, Planetary Society Member and Advocate
• Ari Gozlan, Planetary Society Member and Advocate
• Megan McKeown, Director of Governmental Affairs, Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities
• Blake Schreurs, Virtual Reality Specialist, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory
• Christine McCarthy, Research Professor, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University
• Brent McBride, Research Scientist, University of Maryland Baltimore County
• Liliana Delgado, PhD Student, Department of Biomechanics, University of Nebraska Omaha
• Sarah Treadwell, Science Communicator (Space Case Sarah)

The Planetary Society's 2026 Day of Action brought something new this year. For the very first time, the advocacy day was followed by a showcase of NASA funded science in an event called Igniting Discovery.

Host Sarah Al-Ahmed speaks with Jack Kiraly, Director of Government Relations at the Planetary Society, about how the event came together, and with first-time advocate Julianna Charlene Kolczynski, whose passion for space traces back to her grandfather's dreams. Megan McKeown, Director of Governmental Affairs at the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities, opens the event. Then we hear from the scientists themselves: Blake Schreurs of the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, planetary scientist Kirby Runyon of the Planetary Science Institute, Christine McCarthy of Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Brent McBride of the University of Maryland Baltimore County, biomechanics PhD student Liliana Delgado of the University of Nebraska Omaha, and science communicator Sarah Treadwell, also known as Space Case Sarah. Planetary Society member Ari Gozlan closes with a reflection on what it means to celebrate science after the Day of Action. Plus, Chief Scientist Bruce Betts joins Sarah for What's Up.

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• The Planetary Society Travel
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• Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory
• Planetary Science Institute
• Columbia University Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
• University of Maryland Baltimore County
• University of Nebraska Omaha, Department of Biomechanics
• Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities
• Space Case Sarah
• Dragonfly, NASA's mission to Saturn's moon Titan
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• Buy a Planetary Radio T-Shirt
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