All Space Considered – April 2026

• Space News
  • Artemis II
  • WISPIT 2 Double Planet Formation Discovery
  • Yuri’s Night 2026 at Griffith Observatory
• Amazing Astrophotography – In Different Wavelengths!
• Out to Launch
• “Making Science Research Accessible: The Shadow the Scientists Experience” with Jameeka Marshall

JAMEEKA MARSHALL  joined the Shadow the Scientists (StS) team at UC Santa Cruz in January 2023. She holds a master’s degree in teaching and curriculum development and spent 15 years as a public school educator. In 2014, she relocated to Hawai’i to pursue a career in astronomy, studying at the University of Hawai’i at Hilo while continuing to teach and work in education and community engagement roles at several Maunakea observatories.

Jameeka has contributed to both research and public-facing science initiatives. She interned at the Canada-France-Hawai’i Telescope with Dr. Andreea Petric, studying the evolution of quasars using radio data from IRAM in France. More recently, she collaborated with Dr. J.D. Armstrong to provide photometric observations of the binary asteroid 617 Patroclus–Menoetius in support of NASA’s Lucy Mission.

An enthusiastic science communicator, citizen scientist, and avid amateur astronomer, Jameeka is actively engaged in the astronomy community in Hawai’i and beyond. She has led innovative outreach efforts, including a live-streaming program connecting the Maunakea Visitor Information Station with the ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center. She has also hosted “Live from NOIRLab” virtual events with astronomers at Gemini Observatory. She currently serves on the American Astronomical Society’s Education Committee as Chair of the Communications and Blog Working Group, and she is a member of the Association for Lunar and Planetary Observers.

Jameeka’s work is deeply inspired by her experiences navigating pathways into STEM. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she developed new skills in virtual engagement and science communication, which helped to shape her outreach work.

In 2022, Jameeka was introduced to the Shadow the Scientists (StS) initiative through a colleague at Gemini Observatory, Dr. Brian Lemaux, one of the co-founders of StS on Maunakea. She later connected with the StS founder and CrEST Faculty Director, Prof. Raja GuhaThakurta, and joined the program soon after. 

In her current role as the StS Program Manager, she hosts live Zoom sessions with scientists and STEM professionals across various fields, including astronomy, biology, geology, oceanography, and ecology, and she leads efforts to expand access to authentic research experiences. With a focus on supporting under-resourced and underrepresented communities, Jameeka is passionate about making science more accessible.

Previous appearances: All Space Considered, June, 2025.

In her talk, “Making Science Research Accessible: The Shadow the Scientists Experience,” Jameeka Marshall highlights how the Shadow the Scientists (StS) program connects audiences with scientists in real time as they conduct research and related work. Through live, interactive virtual sessions spanning fields such as astronomy, biology, geology, oceanography, and ecology, StS demystifies the research process, emphasizes the development of critical thinking skills essential to scientific inquiry, and provides participants with opportunities to build meaningful, lasting connections with professional scientists.