Ariel Waldman

Ariel Waldman transports audiences from the icy realms of Antarctica, where she films otherworldly life beneath the surface, to the vast expanse of space, tapping into her insights and experiences with NASA. As a National Geographic Explorer and filmmaker, Waldman collaborates with research teams exploring ecosystems across the globe to illuminate the unseen corners of our world. Her expeditions to Antarctica focus on filming life under the ice, which became the subject of her TED Talk, "The invisible life hidden beneath Antarctica's ice." Originally an art school graduate who pivoted to science, Waldman was recognized by the Obama White House as a Champion of Change in Citizen Science.

Waldman's previous leadership roles include chairing NASA’s Innovative Advanced Concepts advisory council and serving as an appointed member of a National Academy of Sciences’ committee, requested by Congress, to envision the future of human spaceflight. Additionally, Waldman ignited a global movement as the driving force behind Science Hack Day, expanding it across 30 countries and inspiring the inception of NASA’s International Space Apps Challenge—the world's largest hackathon.

As an author, Waldman makes the science of the unfamiliar accessible and exhilarating through her books "Out There: The Science Behind Sci-Fi Film and TV" and "What’s It Like in Space?: Stories from Astronauts Who’ve Been There." Her infectious enthusiasm for exploring the unknown, both in her career and at the edges of our universe, ignites excitement in people about how anyone, regardless of their background, can contribute to new fields.