Yolanda L. Shea

Yolanda Shea is a Research Physical Scientist at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. In 2019, Shea earned a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) for her work in pioneering shortwave spectral measurements.

Early life and education When Shea was young, she moved from Massachusetts to Virginia and was interested in the various pieces of information that meteorologists put together to make weather forecasts. Shea's interest in meteorology led to her exploration of other areas of atmospheric science and she went on to earn her bachelor's degree from Cornell University and her Ph.D. from the University of Colorado at Boulder in atmospheric science.

Awards and honors On July 25, 2019, Shea received a PECASE, the highest honor given by the United States government to outstanding scientists and engineers. Shea earned her PECASE for her work in shortwave spectral measurement.

Selected publications

Spectrally Dependent CLARREO Infrared Spectrometer Calibration Requirement for Climate Change Detection (2017) Journal of Climate Quantifying the Dependence of Satellite Cloud Retrievals on Instrument Uncertainty (2017) Journal of Climate

Public engagement Shea has been challenging the stereotype of what a scientist should look like and inspiring the next generation through outreach events. Shea reaches many students from underrepresented backgrounds by breaking the mold of the "successful scientist" stereotype.