Amy Leibrand

Amy Leibrand is a Science Writer currently working for Science and Technology Corporation (STC) at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.1 Her primary responsibility is authoring the annual Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) Science Digest, which is published on the NOAA NESDIS website.2

Professional Background

Education and Early Career: Amy holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental (Soil) Science with a minor in Environmental Chemistry from The Ohio State University, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude.1 Her career began in environmental science, working as an Environmental Scientist at Stone Environmental Engineering & Science, Inc. from 2002 to 2008.1

Research Experience: From February 2008 to December 2021, Amy worked as a Principal Research Scientist at Battelle in Columbus, Ohio.1 During this time, she managed and supported research at the intersection of environmental and biosciences, focusing on areas such as applied Earth observations, remote sensing, natural language ontology, and knowledge representation in machine learning.1

Current Role: Since February 2022, Amy has been working as a Science Writer for STC, supporting the JPSS program at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.1 In this role, she develops the JPSS Annual Science Digest and engages in other user engagement activities.1 The JPSS satellites collect global observations of Earth's land, oceans, and atmosphere for applications including severe weather forecasting and assessing environmental hazards.1

Additional Interests

Alongside her scientific career, Amy is also a visual artist. She operates under the moniker "This Space is Rented" and has been involved in creating artworks, curating exhibitions, and arts administration since January 2011.1

Expertise and Approach

Amy's approach to science communication is rooted in her 14 years of applied environmental and biosciences research experience.1 She believes that effective communication is crucial for increasing the impact of science and demonstrating its value to society.1 Her transition from researcher to writer allows her to leverage her scientific background in her current role as a science communicator.