Her Story
About Felisa
Felisa WolfeSimon serves as a senior research scientist focused on astrobiology and the study of microbial metabolism in planetary environments. She completed her PhD in oceanography at Rutgers University in 2006, having started graduate school in 2000, and holds undergraduate degrees in biology with a chemistry minor from Oberlin College and in music performance. In addition to her scientific work as a NASA Principal Investigator on projects involving magnetotactic bacteria and cyanobacteria, she maintains an active professional music career as an oboist, having trained at Interlochen Arts Academy, and she teaches private oboe students. WolfeSimon is a member of Sigma Psi and the American Geophysical Union. She volunteers with several organizations including the Young Musicians Choral Orchestra, Oakland Public Conservatory of Music, San Francisco Symphony, Chabot Earth and Space Science Center, and Berkeley Public Library. She attributes her success to tenacity and perseverance developed through an unconventional career path that included time away from research.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Felisa
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to tenacity and perseverance. Things are really different now than when our teachers trained. I want to be a useful engine and use my skills in a positive way. The challenge is how to keep going when things are really hard, and that's what I've had to develop.
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