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National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Goddard Space Flight Center

Astrophysics Science Division | Sciences and Exploration

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TIGER Questions and Answers

about a Career as a Scientist

Dr. Eric Christian of NASA GSFC was in Antarctica for the launch of the balloon-borne instrument, TIGER. He answered questions about Antarctica and the mission while there and since.



  1. How did you get a job at NASA?

    I met one of the NASA scientists involved with cosmic ray research more than two years before I finished my PhD. We were both in Nebraska flying two different cosmic ray experiments. I kept in touch with him and other scientists at NASA, and they had a job opening just as I was finishing up my degree. I applied for the job (as did others), and they knew I was a good fit for the work they were doing and I had good credentials. It was basically the only job I strongly considered after getting my PhD. I've been with them ever since.

  2. What made you want to do what you are doing, and if you could, would you change it?

    Well, I've wanted to work for NASA since I was a kid. And it was pretty clear to me that I wanted to be a scientist. So this is just about my perfect job. I didn't know I'd be studying cosmic rays, however. The only thing that would be better would be to become an astronaut and to do science from space. But Antarctica is about as far out as one can get without being an astronaut. I am enjoying myself a lot.

  3. What advice would you give to a young student who would want to pursue a similar career path as yours?

    Most of my advice would be pretty obvious. Take as many advanced math and science courses as you can and do well in them. But it would also be to learn how to look at things with a scientist's eye. A scientist nearly always looks at things as problems to be solved and puzzles to figure out. And, believe it or not, that is fun. If you don't enjoy science, you probably shouldn't go into it.


This page was last modified on October 23, 2003