Isabel Hawkins Email & Phone Number

Isabel Hawkins, Ph.D., is a bilingual (Spanish/English) and bicultural Latina from Córdoba, Argentina. In 1986, she received a Ph.D. in astrophysics at UCLA. She worked as Senior Space Fellow for 20 years at the University of California, Berkeley, Space Sciences Laboratory, conducting astrophysics research on NASA satellite projects and as Director of Science Education. Dr. Hawkins received a Fulbright U.S. Global Scholar Fellowship in 2018-2019 to conduct comparative research on the Pleiades star cluster in New Zealand, Guatemala, and Peru, which was extended and completed in 2022. Since 2009, she has been at the Exploratorium in San Francisco, where she is currently Senior Scientist and Director of the Osher Fellowship Program. Her projects include: bilingual (English/Hawaiian) Webby-award winning website “Never Lost: Polynesian Navigation/Nalo ‘Ole” at the Exploratorium, which features the astronomical foundations of Polynesian non-instrument navigation; bilingual (English/Spanish) website “Living Maya Time/Viviendo el tiempo maya” and "The Great Inka Road/El Gran Camino Inka" lesson plans for middle school, both produced for the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian. Dr. Hawkins' work focuses on re-contextualizing science generally, and astronomy specifically, in cultures, to enhance participation by all communities through the appreciation of "The Cultural Roots of STEM." Dr. Hawkins received eight NASA awards between 2004 and 2008 for her work on NASA education and public outreach. In 2009, the Astronomical Society of the Pacific awarded her the prestigious Klumpke-Roberts Award in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the public understanding and appreciation of astronomy. Dr. Hawkins is scientific advisor for several National Science Foundation programs and producer of NASA-funded total solar eclipse live educational programs. She has and continues to serve as Principal Investigator in several NASA and NSF funded projects, including "Navigating the Path of Totality" Eclipse project, "The Cultural Roots of STEM" synthesis project, "GENIAL Summit (Generating Engagement and New Initiatives for All Latinos)" and (as Co-I) "Cambio: A Professional Development Approach for Building Latinx-focused Cultural Competence in Informal Science Education Institutions."

Listed skills include Community Outreach, Research, Science Education, Grant Writing, and 23 others.