Emily Calandrelli

Early life and education Emily Calandrelli grew up in Morgantown, West Virginia and graduated from Morgantown High School. As an undergraduate, she attended West Virginia University. She became a Truman Scholar which led to her working for one summer in Washington, D.C. for her US Representative Alan Mollohan. She later graduated with a B.S. in mechanical & aerospace engineering in 2010.

Subsequently, Calandrelli attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where she obtained an M.S. in aeronautics & astronautics as well an M.S. in technology & policy in 2013. In 2011, Calandrelli was awarded the René Miller Prize in Systems Engineering. As a Harvard NASA Tournament Lab visiting scholar, she assisted organizations in using crowdsourcing to solve technical challenges.

Calandrelli is a professional speaker and presents on the topics of space exploration, scientific literacy, and gender equality in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). She is a TEDx speaker and a contributing writer at TechCrunch. Additionally, Calandrelli is a Brooke Owens Fellowship Mentor.

Calandrelli started a career in science communication when she became a host of Xploration Outer Space in Fox's Xploration Station educational block in 2014. On August 25, 2020, Calandrelli's educational Netflix series titled Emily's Wonder Lab debuted. Calandrelli filmed the series while 9 months pregnant.

Calandrelli is known as "The Space Gal" online. She has given presentations at Google, Pixar, MIT, Texas Instruments, and K-12 schools and universities across the United States. She was invited by the White House to perform educational science experiments at the Easter Egg Roll in 2023 and 2024.

She has written the Ada Lace series of chapter books to introduce youth to science and technology and the picture book Reach for the Stars (2022), illustrated by Honee Jang. She also authored two books of science experiments designed for children.

In July 2024, Calandrelli announced that she will be a passenger on a New Shepard flight to space.

Awards In April 2017, Calandrelli was nominated for an Outstanding Host in a Lifestyle/Children's/Travel or Family Viewing Program daytime Emmy Award for her work on Xploration Station.

In November 2023, Calandrelli received an honorary doctorate from the Faculty of Engineering at McMaster University.

Advocacy Calandrelli uses her social media platforms and public speaking engagements to advocate for scientific literacy, the benefits of space exploration, and STEM careers, particularly for girls and women in STEM.

In 2022, Calandrelli shared her experience of being forced to check breastfeeding supplies at an airport security checkpoint, despite these supplies being permitted by TSA guidelines. She reached out to Rep. Katie Porter, who had introduced legislation to improve handling of breastmilk and breastfeeding supplies.

Personal life In January 2011, Calandrelli became a licensed amateur radio operator under the call sign KD8PKR.

During her internship at NASA, she met another aerospace engineer, Tommy Franklin. They married and have three children.

Filmography

Television

Published works

Ada Lace Adventures series Text by Calandrelli with Tamson Weston, illustrated by Renée Kurilla

Ada Lace, on the Case (August 2017) Ada Lace Sees Red (August 2017) Ada Lace, Take Me to Your Leader (May 2018) Ada Lace and the Impossible Mission (September 2018) Ada Lace and the Suspicious Artist (February 2019) Ada Lace Gets Famous (October 2023)

Picture books

Reach for the Stars (April 2022), text by Calandrelli, illustrated by Honee Jang

Books of science experiments

Stay Curious and Keep Exploring (September 2022) Stay Curious and Keep Exploring: Next Level (March 2024)