Women in Ocean Science + Fireside Chat with Dr. Sian Proctor

Seaworthy is hosting our second panel of the year! Our panel features women driving regenerative ocean and climate impact from coast to coast! From aquaculture to policy and innovation, Heather Sadusky and Laura Chavez Anderson are inspiring role models as women representing the future of ocean innovation.

After our panel, we'll then be hosting a 30 minute fireside chat with another inspiring role model who recently joined the Seaworthy Community - geoscientist, explorer, space artist, and SpaceX astronaut Dr. Sian Proctor! Dr. Proctor will join us to discuss what it means to create a J.E.D.I (Just, Equitable, Diverse, and Inclusive) space for the futures of ocean and space exploration alike!

 We're also excited to continue sharing our new home at Ziome, hosting our community for happy hour after the panel!

About our panel:

Heather Sadusky 

Maine Aquaculture Hub Coordinator

Heather Sadusky is a marine science professional with a focus on sustainable seafood. She has worked in both fisheries management and aquaculture, from Alaska to the Caribbean. Currently, Heather is based in Portland, ME where she is part of the Maine Sea Grant extension team, working with sea farmers and stakeholders across the coast to sustainably develop the state’s aquaculture industry.  Heather has consulted on several international fisheries and seafood projects, from Bonaire to Hong Kong, and has experience working in the seafood industry with a Chilean salmon producer. With a background in journalism and goals in a more sustainable future for seafood, she is always keeping an eye out for new projects to advance the blue economy. 

Laura Chavez Anderson 

Communications Assistant, Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions and Ocean Policy Assistant, Seattle Aquarium

Laura Anderson is a communications assistant at the Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions. She is originally from Washington, D.C., and studied marine biology and environmental communication at Stanford University. Laura is interested in natural climate solutions and interdisciplinary problem-solving. Her favorite ocean animal is a sea hare!

Fireside chat following the panel on J.E.D.I space and ocean future with Dr. Sian Proctor

Dr. Sian Proctor

Geoscientist, explorer, space artist, and astronaut

Dr. Proctor is a geoscientist, explorer, space artist, and astronaut. She is the mission pilot for the Inspiration4 all-civilian orbital mission to space. She is also one of The Explorer’s Club 50: Fifty People Changing the World. Her motto is called Space2inspire where she encourages people to use their unique, one-of-a-kind strengths, and passion to inspire those within their reach and beyond. She believes that we need to actively strive for a J.E.D.I. space: a just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive space as we advance human spaceflight.

She uses her afrofuturism space art to encourage conversations about women of color in the space industry. She’s also an analog astronaut and has completed four analog missions including the all-female SENSORIA Mars 2020 mission at the Hawai’i Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS) Habitat, the NASA funded 4-months Mars mission at HI-SEAS, a 2-weeks Mars mission at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS), and a 2-weeks Moon mission in the LunAres Habitat. She believes that when we solve for space, we also solve issues on Earth. She promotes sustainable food practices used in space exploration as a way to reduce food waste on Earth. She has a TEDx talk called Eat Like a Martian and published the Meals for Mars Cookbook. Dr. Proctor was a finalist for the 2009 NASA Astronaut Program and got down to the Yes/No phone call which came from Astronaut Sunita Williams. She is an international speaker who enjoys engaging in educational outreach. She is a continuing NASA Solar System Ambassador and serves on the Explore Mars Board of Directors, JustSpace Alliance Advisory Board, the Science in the Wild Advisory Board, the SEDS USA Advisory Board, and the National Science Teaching Association’s Aerospace Advisory Board. In 2019, she was the science communication outreach officer on the JOIDES Resolution Expedition 383 and spent 2-months at sea with researchers investigating the Dynamics of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. She also participated in the 2-week faculty development seminar Exploring Urban Sustainability in India. She was a 2017 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Teacher at Sea, a 2016 Astronomy in Chile Educator Ambassador (ACEAP), and a 2014 PolarTREC Teacher investigating climate change in Barrow, Alaska. She is a Major in the Civil Air Patrol and serves as a member of the Arizona Wing Aerospace Education Officer.

Dr. Proctor spent 21 years as a professor teaching geology, sustainability, and planetary science at South Mountain Community College, Phoenix, Arizona. She is currently the Open Educations Resource Coordinator for the Maricopa Community College District. She has a B.S. in Environmental Science, an M.S. in Geology, and a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction: Science Education. She recently finished a sabbatical at Arizona State University’s Center for Education Through Exploration creating virtual field trips. She did her 2012-13 sabbatical at the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Emergency Management Institute developing their science of disasters curriculum. She has appeared in multiple international science shows and is currently on A World Without NASA and Strange Evidence. You can follow her on social media @DrSianProctor.

Hosted by:

Daniel Kleinman

Founder & CEO, Seaworthy Collective

Daniel Kleinman is Seaworthy Collective's Founder and CEO, and a marine roboticist. Daniel received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Florida, and a Master of Professional Science in Exploration Science from the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. As an undergraduate, Daniel interned with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and became versed in design and systems thinking as a University Innovation Fellow. After graduating in 2015, Daniel started his career as a pilot and test engineer for Bluefin Robotics' unmanned underwater vehicles in Boston. Daniel then served as a Navy contractor and mechanical engineer in maritime systems in San Diego. In 2020, Daniel launched Seaworthy Collective in Miami to break down the silos he experienced in industry by supporting fellow impact changemakers addressing the ocean’s greatest problems.