Dr. Aomawa Shields is a Clare Boothe Luce Associate Professor in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at UC Irvine, and an astrobiologist whose research focuses on exploring the possible climates and potential habitability of Earth-sized planets orbiting cool, low-mass stars. Dr. Shields is also the Founder and Director of the organization Rising Stargirls, which encourages girls of all colors and backgrounds to explore and discover the universe using theater, writing, and visual art.