Julia deMarines

Julia deMarines (US) is an astrobiologist and science communicator working at the UC Berkeley SETI Research Center and with Blue Marble Space. In the fall of 2020, she will be starting a Ph.D. in Earth and Planetary Science at the University of California, Berkeley. She is a National Geographic Explorer, Grosvenor Teacher Fellow, and California Explorer Chapter leader. Her research involves detecting life in the universe through biosignatures and technosignatures and the ethics of sending powerful, intentional messages into space. Her current project, called the Moonbounce project, aims to measure Earth’s technosignature by observing terrestrial radio waves reflected (or “bounced”) off of the moon. She holds a Masters of Space Studies from the International Space University and a Bachelor of Astronomy from the University of Colorado. She is passionate about inspiring the next generation of scientists and teaches to underserved students around the world through the Ad Astra Academy. Julia also runs her own outreach events called “Space in Your Face!” – a space variety show involving comedy, local artists, and cover songs. She has previously worked as a researcher at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, NASA AMES and NASA Langley. In 2018, Julia spent two weeks living and working on MARS (Mars Desert Research Station) in the US state of Utah. In 2019, she joined a Lindblad expedition to the Galápagos Islands, and served as the Education Officer onboard the JOIDES Resolution scientific drilling vessel for two months at sea. When she’s not doing science and communication she can be found cracking Uranus jokes, trying not to kill her plants, trail-running, and hanging with her cat, Bella.