Deborah Shepherd Email & Phone Number

Pasadena, Ca

While in the DR Congo, I worked with the teachers of the Muleji Village Secondary School in the D.R. Congo, Africa, to help them to write a funding proposal to build a new secondary school in the village. Upon return to the USA, I then began a fundraising campaign to build the school. All materials and labor are sourced locally, providing jobs to local villagers. We built 3 classrooms in 2015 (for $20K) and there are now approximately 200 students in the school. We have the money in hand to build the remaining 3 classrooms in 2016 ($20K), bringing the school up to a full capacity of more than 300 students. We are now raising the final $30K needed to build the computer lab/library, administrative office and bathrooms. We expect to complete the construction in 2017/18.

Mulungwishi, Dr Congo, Africa

Worked with the Katanga Methodist University to develop a university-wide work breakdown structure, budget and strategic plan; with the Katabataba Primary and Secondary schools to develop a strategic plan to refurbish their science lab; and with the Muleji Village Secondary School to raise funds to build the school.

Performed an analysis of the American theological community’s engagement with science and wrote a report that was presented at the American Academy of Religion (AAR) annual meeting

Socorro, New Mexico

2011-2013: Scientific Services Group Leader responsible for the final commissioning of the Very Large Array (VLA) and the Very Large Baseline Array (VLBA) expansion projects. Supervisor for a team of 13-16 astronomers.2009-2011: Karoo Array Telescope Project Scientist, South Africa: Responsible for developing and supervising the commissioning team, managing daily activities, setting commissioning goals and defining operational and user requirements for the observatory. 2005-2009: North American Deputy of Computing for the international project, Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA). Manager of the ALMA Test Facility. Subsystem scientist for ALMA data processing software. 1999-2005: Helped install and test new, high-frequency receivers at the VLA, tested data calibration and imaging software and wrote the VLA user’s cookbook for software processing. Coordinated the effort to put the NRAO Observatory under a unified Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) and participated in the WBS/MIS (Management Information System) integration task force. Coordinated Observatory reviews on science activities, internal communications and incorporated the results into a proposal for an Observatory-wide operations plan. Created an Education & Public Outreach (EPO) strategic plan and WBS.

Pasadena, Ca

Supported science operations at Caltech and helped operate the Owens Valley Radio Observatory for one week out of every five. This included scheduling projects, trouble shooting problems with instrumentation and software, and working with engineers to resolve problems.

Huntsville, Alabama

Developed experiment simulators for Astro 1, Astro 2, and SL-J Spacelab Shuttle missions at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, trained payload science astronauts and worked mission operations during the Astro 1 shuttle mission.

Master Of Divinity (M.Div.), Theology, Leadership

Activities and Societies: Co-developer of the Fuller Faith and Science Student Group

Phd, Astronomy And Astrophysics

Master Of Science (Ms), Physics

Bachelor Of Science (Bs), Physics