Laura Danly
Astronomer / Curator
Griffith Observatory
Los Angeles, CA USA
“Every day of your life, you have the right to choose what you will accept and what you won't accept. And that's the craft and art of making your own life.”
Videos
By Roadtrip NationLaura Danly
Milestones
My road in life has been direct.
For as long as she can remember, she wanted to study space; studied physics and got a Ph.D. in astronomy.
Worked as a postdoc at NASA's Hubble Space Telescope Science Institute.
Says that as a young female scientist, she often felt invisible, and she felt a lot of self-doubt.
But time and time again, her grades would best the boys in her classes, so she slowly gained confidence.
Took a huge leap leaving NASA-working for them had always been her dream, but she'd stagnated there.
Quit and spent some time traveling around India and Nepal; taking this break gave her more clarity about what she wanted to do with her life.
Says she's "restarted" her life half a dozen times; urges road-trippers to make changes if they reach a place where they're unhappy.
Believes that if you're scared about taking a big leap, you usually just need to take a deep breath and "jump out of the plane."
Keep following my journey
Education
Career
Astronomer / Curator
I'm a spectroscopist specializing in ultraviolet observations from satellites to learn more about how galaxies evolve.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Environment & Nature
Science
Learning / Being Challenged
Hurdles
Challenges I Overcame
Other
Interviewed By
Just Say Yes
After traveling more than 4,500 miles in 30 days, the Roadtrippers book a last-minute interview with Randii Wessen, an engineer at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Los Angeles. Randii shares his story of constant determination-wisdom that resonates with Nekeed. The last interview ends with Laura Danly, curator at the Griffith Observatory. Laura shares her story of arduous schooling to land a job as a NASA astronomer-only to realize she's happiest when she shares her astronomical knowledge with others. Ending their journey with a better sense of themselves and their futures, the team shares their final reflections and says their goodbyes.
