Dr. Tanya Harrison

The Globe and Mail, September 29, 2015Print

URL: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/why-do-earthlings-care-so-much-about-mars/article26588634/

Appeared in both the print and online Globe and Mail outlets.

Astronomy Magazine, August 16, 2016Online

URL: http://www.astronomy.com/news/2016/08/will-the-real-culprit-behind-mars-gullies-please-stand-up

A NASA press release recently suggested Mars' gullies were formed solely by carbon dioxide. The truth is much murkier.

Mashable, May 17, 2015Online

URL: http://mashable.com/2015/05/17/girls-with-toys/#.pMA7Q9iKOqC

Female scientists have joined together to disprove one astronomer's thesis: science is just "boys with toys." Shrinivas Kulkarni, an astronomer who teaches astrophysics at the California Institute of Technology, made waves this weekend after he was quoted by NPR as saying, "Many scientists, I think, secretly are what I call 'boys with toys.'" That casual remark, included in an otherwise unremarkable interview, quickly set off a powerful reaction from women (and men) in the science community who took to Twitter to highlight how tone deaf it is to continue talking as though women have no role in the field. Using the hashtag #girlswithtoys, scientists from around the world shared dozens of images of women "playing" with microscopes, telescopes, Mars rovers, water pumps and more.

University of Western Ontario, September 11, 2014Online

URL: http://news.westernu.ca/2014/09/vanier-celebrates-the-nations-finest/

Seven Western graduate students have been named among 166 nationwide recipients of the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship, each receiving $50,000 annually for up to three years. Vanier scholars are selected based on leadership skills and high standard of scholarly achievement in the social sciences, humanities, natural sciences, engineering and/or health sciences.

The Huffington Post, May 19, 2015Online

URL: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/05/19/girls-with-toys-canada_n_7335312.html

In the highly reactive world of the Internet, it's easy for outrage to overtake education. But every once in a while, something sparks a social movement that makes you feel like you're really learning something. And if you start looking through the hashtag #girlswithtoys, it's impossible not to come away inspired.

106.9 The X, November 30, 2015Online

URL: http://www.1069thex.com/2015/11/30/students-controlling-a-space-mission/

A group of students from across the country ran a Mars rover simulation mission at Western University. Made up of 35 students, ranging from undergraduates to Post Doctoral Fellows contributed to the analogue mission.

Women in Planetary Science, October 7, 2010Online

URL: https://womeninplanetaryscience.wordpress.com/2010/10/07/tanya-harrison-being-proactive-helps-you-stand-out-from-the-crowd/

Tanya Harrison discusses her career path in planetary science.

NOW.Space, February 13, 2017Online

URL: http://now.space/posts/tanya-mars/

Shannon Stirone 02/13/2017 Dr. Tanya Harrison, also known on Twitter as “Tanya of Mars,” lists herself as a professional Martian, and she sort of is in a way. Tanya is a planetary scientist currently studying the changing geological features on the surface of Mars. She’s also working at Arizona State University’s NewSpace Initiative, a program designed to help budding commercial space companies learn how to explore the solar system. At ASU NewSpace, Tanya works with lead investigator Jim Bell, consulting on prospective space missions to the Moon and of course, Mars.

Universe Today, June 11, 2011Online

URL: http://www.universetoday.com/86497/proof-bio-station-alpha-is-just-an-image-artifact/

It’s time for another episode of “Conspiracy Theory of the Week.” This one involves a supposed secret space station on Mars. The You Tube video showing “Bio Station Alpha” went viral and was even reported on some mainstream media outlets. The station is supposedly a 700 ft x 150 ft structure on Mars and by some accounts is colored white with blue and red stripes. It was found on Google Mars by an “armchair astronaut” and breathless conspiracy bloggers have touted this as the most important discovery on Mars yet, and “proof!” that NASA is hiding their activities. In reality, this is not a space station, a Mars base or any type of structure – created or natural — on the surface of the Red Planet.

The Huffington Post, May 18, 2015Online

URL: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/18/girls-with-toys_n_7307464.html

Here’s yet another reminder that women totally kick ass in any field they want. Shrinivas Kulkarni, astronomy and planetary science professor at the California Institute of Technology, was featured in an interview with NPR on Saturday. While speaking on astronomers, the professor said, “many scientists ... are what I call ‘boys with toys.’ I really like playing around with telescopes. It’s just not fashionable to admit it.” The comment, which failed to acknowledge his female counterparts in the field, didn’t go unnoticed. Women took to the Internet to remind Kulkarni that “boys” aren’t the only ones in STEM. Using the #girlswithtoys hashtag, female scientists and engineers shared pictures of themselves or others with tools and equipment. Some posed next to rovers, while others took selfies with their lab equipment. A few were pictured next to some “toys” that were a little beyond our understanding. The #girlswithtoys campaign is stunning, powerful and will make you want to bust out the Bunsen burner.

Kvinneguiden.no, May 21, 2015Online

URL: http://www.klikk.no/kvinneguiden/kvinner-i-tech-1581820.ece

Interview about the #girlswithtoys movement, published in Norwegian

The Planetary Society, November 18, 2013Online

URL: http://www.planetary.org/blogs/guest-blogs/2013/20131118-maven-launches.html

MAVEN launched flawlessly and pretty much exactly on schedule. Congratulations to NASA, the MAVEN team, and United Launch Alliance for a picture perfect launch!

The Planetary Society, November 17, 2013Online

URL: http://www.planetary.org/blogs/guest-blogs/2013/20131116-maven-nasa-social-day-1.html

I am at the MAVEN launch at Kennedy Space Center for a "NASA Social" event. These events are geared towards space enthusiasts of all backgrounds who are active on social media to increase public awareness and excitement about NASA.

The Planetary Society, November 18, 2013Online

URL: http://www.planetary.org/blogs/guest-blogs/2013/20131118-maven-nasa-social-day-2.html

Bright and early this morning, we NASA Social folks met at the Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex for a tour of the space shuttle Atlantis. This is the first shuttle I've seen in person, and it was a stunning sight to see.

The Planetary Society, April 4, 2016Online

URL: http://www.planetary.org/blogs/guest-blogs/2016/0404-lpsc-2016-martian-geomorphology.html

Scientists showcased a wide range of features and processes on Mars' surface at this year's Lunar and Planetary Science Conference.

WeMartians, July 1, 2016Online

URL: https://soundcloud.com/wemartians/episode-8-gullies-on-mars-feat-tanya-harrison

Increasingly, Mars is appearing to us as a living, breathing world with dynamic features. One such feature that has captivated planetary scientists around the world is the occurrence of Martian Gullies, channels carved into the surface as if by water, in a world where flowing water is not exactly common. We talk with Tanya Harrison, a planetary scientist and geologist from the University of Western Ontario. She tells us all about gullies on Mars, how they might be formed, and what scientists are doing about it to learn more in the search for life on Mars.

University of Arizona, July 29, 2015Online

URL: http://www.uahirise.org/ESP_041866_2290

Mars captioned image release

The Planetary Society, July 24, 2015Online

URL: http://www.planetary.org/blogs/guest-blogs/2015/0724-help-map-mars-south-polar-region.html

The science team of NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter wants your help in mapping out the weird and wonderful features of Mars' south polar region!

NOW.Space, February 14, 2017Online

URL: http://now.space/posts/mars-2020/

Interview with Tanya Harrison about the Mars 2020 rover landing site selection process.

Inhabitots, May 26, 2015Online

URL: http://www.inhabitots.com/female-scientists-spark-girlswithtoys-campaign-to-highlight-stem-careers-combat-gender-stereotypes/

You don’t mess with women in science. Someday, people will learn that. In an interview with NPR that took place earlier this month, Caltech astronomer Shrinivas Kulkarni made a casual comment that scientists are “boys with toys,” and that notion has gotten the attention of many women working in fields of science and engineering. Within just a few days, the hashtag #GirlsWithToys was trending on Twitter, featuring female scientists, engineers, astronomers, and the like showing off the “toys” they use to perform amazing feats of science. Here, Tanya Harrison shows off her toys, tweeting: "I play with Mars rovers. #girlswithtoys"

The Planetary Society, January 25, 2010Online

URL: http://www.planetary.org/blogs/guest-blogs/2010/2317.html

"What?" you might say, "There are cameras other than HiRISE?" Yes indeed, there are. There are two other cameras aboard MRO: the Context Camera (CTX) and Mars Color Imager (MARCI).

The Planetary Society, August 20, 2014Online

URL: http://www.planetary.org/blogs/guest-blogs/2014/0820-canadian-mars-analogue-mission-week-1.html

Tanya Harrison reports on Canada's efforts to simulate a Mars sample return mission here on Earth.

The Planetary Society, August 28, 2014Online

URL: http://www.planetary.org/blogs/guest-blogs/2014/0828-canadian-mars-analogue-mission-2.html

Tanya Harrison wraps up the final week of Mars sample return analogue mission operations at the Canadian Space Agency.

Techdirt, December 13, 2015Online

URL: https://www.techdirt.com/blog/podcast/articles/20161213/10294136263/techdirt-podcast-episode-102-can-we-really-colonize-mars.shtml

Elon Musk got plenty of attention recently for announcing his plans to colonize Mars. But that's not exactly a new idea—so we wondered if it was really a different, exciting and realistic plan, or just a reiteration of the standard far-flung dream. To answer that question, we brought in three experts: Amy Shira Teitel (a space and flight historian and creator of YouTube's Vintage Space videos), JPL's Fred Calef (a Mars geologist and "keeper of the maps" for Mars rovers), and the New Space Initiative's Tanya Harrison (who worked on Curiosity and several other Mars missions). The result was a fascinating discussion about Mars and whether or not we're actually headed there any time soon.

New York Times, May 18, 2015Online

URL: http://nytlive.nytimes.com/womenintheworld/2015/05/18/astronomer-calls-scientists-boys-with-toys-gets-schooled-by-the-internet/

“Many scientists, I think, secretly are what I call ‘boys with toys’.” Astronomer and Cal Tech professor Shrinivas Kulkarni probably had no idea what an Internet firestorm he started with an off-the-cuff remark during an NPR interview on Saturday. While his remarks were probably not ill-intentioned, they served as a reminder of the difficulties women face in STEM fields, and how their achievements and contributions are often casually ignored or dismissed. So Twitter decided to teach the professor a friendly lesson. Using the hashtag #GirlsWithToys, female scientists across the globe tweeted photos of themselves with their “toys” – i.e., the incredible scientific equipment they helped develop or operate every day.

Bustle, May 19, 2015Online

URL: https://www.bustle.com/articles/84299-girlswithtoys-celebrates-women-in-stem-fields-sharing-stories-of-ladies-who-slay-at-science-photos

There have been a lot of strides for women in STEM fields in the last decade. I get to see it all the time in my computer wizard sister, who not only codes for a living, but was fully operational on the desktop computer before she could speak in full sentences. But girls who were not as fortunate to have support in their calling need all the encouragement they can get, which is why the trending hashtag #GirlsWithToys is so important. Its aim is to fire back at the notion of male scientists as "boys with toys," and celebrate the women with successful STEM careers as well.

Wired, May 18, 2015Online

URL: http://www.wired.co.uk/article/girls-and-their-toys-hashtag-twitter

Female scientists from all over the world have taken to Twitter to post pictures of themselves with tools and equipment from their workplaces alongside the hashtag #girlswithtoys. The pictures are being posted in response to an unfortunate, off-the-cuff comment made by CalTech professor Shrinivas Kulkarni during an NPR interview. "Many scientists, I think, secretly are what I call 'boys with toys'," said Kulkarni, a professor of astronomy and planetary science. While the comment was a blunder by Kulkarni rather than a targeted attack, for many it also exposes the ingrained sexism that goes unacknowledged in the science and technology industries. If nothing else it perpetuated the myth that science and tech are men's pursuits. To remind Kulkarni and the rest of the world that scientists are not just "boys with toys", however, the female scientists of Twitter struck back using the #girlswithtoys hashtag as their calling card. The resulting slew of pictures serves as a reminder of the role women are playing in science and technology, but also provides an insight into some of the awesome toys they do get to play with.

Buzzfeed, September 16, 2016Online

URL: https://www.buzzfeed.com/kellyoakes/would-you-like-some-dry-ice-for-that-burn?utm_term=.tu1XeDQGe#.xx4EQl8kQ

A response to the #girlswithtoys Twitter movement.

Brown Spaceman, September 15, 2014Online

URL: https://brownspaceman.com/17-amazing-reasons-to-why-we-should-be-excited-about-space/

What NASA or space project are you most excited about and why?

The Planetary Society, September 11, 2015Online

URL: http://www.planetary.org/blogs/guest-blogs/2015/0911-a-workhorse-at-mars.html

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) Context Camera (CTX) is almost a silent star at Mars. The latest MRO data release brought the total number of available CTX images to over 70,000, covering well over 90% of the Red Planet at a stunning resolution of 6 meters per pixel.