Emma Louden, an American astrophysicist, strategist, and speaker will present “Return to Home, Return to Hope: Charting the 3rd Phase of Space Exploration,” at Cloud County Community College’s Cook Series on Thursday, March 27. The event will be at 7:00 p. m. at the college’s Cook Theatre on the Concordia campus. All Cook Series events are free and open to the public.
Raised in Park City, Utah, Louden spent many nights outside looking up at the Milky Way through the crisp and clear mountain air. After falling in love with the NASA rovers Spirit and Opportunity, her astrophysics pathway took off quickly. Since then, Louden has attended the Summer Science Program, graduated Magna Cum Laude from Princeton University, and been selected as a Brooke Owens Fellow and a Quad Fellow.
As an astrophysics Ph.D. candidate at Yale University, Louden studies the geometry of exoplanetary systems. She uses the thinking spurred by this inquiry to help humanity develop a consciousness that puts the Earth in context and advances space exploration for the common good.
Outside of research, in 2018, Louden started exploring the space industry and its opportunities for high-achieving students committed to creating a better world. As she delved deeper into the industry, she found unexpected opportunities to engage with the new companies starting exploration as a woman in STEM.
This impact led Louden to build Space To Sparkle. This consultancy connects ambitious students committed to creating a better world to new career paths in the space industry through career strategy workshops, an online community curated for people with a drive to change the world in STEM, and coaching experiences with Louden. Now in its third year, the organization has hosted events at conferences and universities nationwide, including ASCEND, AAS, and Princeton University.
Louden is also a space strategy analyst and EarthDNA Ambassador. She co-founded the Ask-A-Brookie Mentorship program and serves on the American Astronomical Society Committee on Astronomy and Public Policy. She is deeply committed to sharing her passion for astronomy to spark curiosity and excitement in future scientists, especially minorities in STEM. She serves as a Young Professional Mentor for the Zed Factor Fellowship, a mentor for the Space Prize, and a lead for the SSP Connect mentorship program for alumni of the Summer Science Program.
Her expertise has been featured in talks at TEDx, Yale Law School, NPR, and the Jasper Dark Sky Festival. She was named one of the STEM Reinventors of the Year for 2021 and a Payload Pioneer 30 Under 30. She also serves on the Future Space Economy Webcast Advisory Board for SATELLITE. As a sought-after speaker, Louden travels around the world as a steward of the story of the next phase of space exploration, empowering the next generation of students in STEM and connecting the public to the transformative power of space exploration.
This year marks the 32nd anniversary of the Charles and Marian Cook Series at Cloud County Community College. The Cooks were travelers who wanted to bring the world to those who could not travel themselves. More than 80 events have been presented through the sponsorship of the Cook Foundation and the Division of Humanities, Social Sciences and Business at Cloud. It was always Marian Cook’s wishes that all Cook Series events be free and open to the public.
For more information, contact Brenton Phillips, dean of Humanities, Social Sciences and Business at Cloud, at 785.243.1435, ext. 244, or by email at bphillips@cloud.edu.
