Author: Brianna P. McKay

  • Brianna P. McKay, Research Associate at Horizon Research, Inc. (HRI), received her Bachelor’s Degree in Physics from Howard University and her Master’s Degree in Astronomy from the University of Washington. She is currently completing her Ph.D. dissertation in Astronomy as an NSF GRFP Fellow, studying the evolution of cool gas surrounding distant galaxies. Prior to joining HRI in 2024, Brianna researched several topics in astronomy, including exoplanets, stars, and radio-loud galaxies. She began her interest in science education after enjoying her work as a teaching assistant for intro astronomy courses, hosting planetarium shows, and participating in various K-12 STEM outreach activities. She is also interested in equitable science education practices, learning about ways educators can be more inclusive to historically marginalized groups. At HRI, Brianna contributes to evaluating programs such as the American Museum of Natural History’s Master of Arts in Teaching Earth Science Residency Program (AMNH MAT-ESRP), the NSF’s AI Institute for Research on Trustworthy AI in Weather, Climate, and Coastal Oceanography (AI2ES), and NASA’s Northwest Earth & Space Sciences Pathways (NESSP) program.

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