Andrew Steele
NASA
Washington, DC USA
"Your life is a gift. No one has the right to tell you how to use that gift. And no one has the right to try and place you into a mold or into a position that they see right for you."
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Andrew's work combines: Science, Technology, and Problem Solving
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
University of Central Lancashire, England
Graduate Degree
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
University of Portsmouth, England
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
He doesn't consider his job a "job"; calls it his "hobby," something he loves to do and think about.
2.
Had been doing high-powered imaging of bacteria while working on his Ph.D.
3.
Saw NASA's images of what they claimed were traces of bacteria on a meteorite from Mars.
4.
Tracked down the names of the scientists on the project, swore he could give them better microscopic images.
5.
They sent him a piece of the meteorite, he followed through on his claim, and they offered him a job.
6.
Big proponent of "fake it 'til you make it" - dealt with NASA as "Dr. Steele," had only had his Ph.D. for three weeks.
7.
Never dreamed he'd be working for NASA or "changing the world"; he just always liked what he studied.
8.
Stresses our great gift is life; we're all made up of "exploding stardust," and you had a "ridiculously" low probability of being human, of being you.