scientific articles • Vacation Guide to the Solar System • media and events
Hi, I’m Jana. I’m a data scientist, astronomy PhD, and writer living in Somerville (Boston), MA.
I lived in NYC for many years, where most recently I was the outreach coordinator for Columbia University’s Astronomy Department. I have been an adjunct professor at the City College of New York, Cooper Union School of Art, and the American Museum of Natural History. I received my PhD from Columbia University for work on dwarf galaxies and interstellar gas. I was the Kathryn W. Davis Postdoctoral Fellow at the American Museum of Natural History, where I taught future high-school science teachers with the Master of Arts in Teaching program, and where I host shows for the Astronomy Live series at the Hayden planetarium. I was an Insight Data Science fellow, and worked as a data scientist and consultant with Schireson Associates. I was also a Simon’s Foundation Science Sandbox Fellow.
I have been a long time space travel agent and collaborator with Guerilla Science‘s Intergalactic Travel Bureau. I co-wrote the fantastical Vacation Guide to the Solar System, published by Penguin Random House in 2017, and worked on the free virtual reality Space Vacation app. I enjoy collaborating with artists on projects including essays and events.