Meet your STEM heroes virtually! Use Augmented reality (AR) to ‘Reach Across the Stars’ and learn about women who have blazed trails in space and STEM.

Meet Kimberly Arcand!

Dr. Kimberly Arcand is one of the world’s preeminent experts in astronomy visualization and has been a pioneer in 3D imaging and extended reality in astrophysics. Arcand began her career in astronomy after being hired for NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory in 1998. She presented her TEDx talk entitled “How to Hold a Dead Star in Your Hands” in 2016, the same year she was selected as a “Changemaker” for the White House United State of Women Summit. In 2019, she was featured in Smithsonian’s “How to be a Scientist” video series for her work in astronomy and 3D visualization. Arcand led a team of researchers to launch the first-ever data-driven virtual reality application of a supernova remnant using NASA data, and she has successfully launched subsequent projects in other areas of emerging technology for astrophysics. Her current research involves sonification of spatial data, screen-based holograms, and other intersections of emerging technology and astrophysics. She has co-written seven non-fiction science books including her first two science-related children’s books that came out this year. Kim is also a member of AstraFemina, a non-profit organization of women who are leaders in STEM fields, with a mission to Inspire Today’s Girls to Become Tomorrow’s STEM Stars by sharing their stories.