Skip to content
Are you ready for the total solar eclipse on April 8? Click to shop all solar gear!
Are you ready for the total solar eclipse on April 8? Click to shop all solar gear!

Explore Alliance Ambassadors - Vivian White

Explore Alliance Ambassadors - Vivian White
San Francisco, CA USA
Contact this Ambassador
 

The Director of Free-Choice Learning at the Astronomical Society of the Pacific in San Francisco, Vivian White is known worldwide for her work in astronomy outreach. By day she works with amateur astronomers and museums, creating and sharing astronomy activities with those who love them.

Vivian White of the Night Sky Network shares her considerable knowledge about the constellations on this program from the International Dark Sky Association.

Vivian White has always loved figuring out how things work. As a kid, her neighbors knew to give her broken electronics to take apart and occasionally even fix. Her curiosity for exploring the world equaled her passion for tinkering and she spent her young adulthood traveling. When her lack of math skills got in the way of understanding more complex physics concepts, she enrolled in an algebra course at a community college and kept wondering until she had a physics degree. Along the way, Vivian took an observational astronomy class and became hooked on looking up. She joined her local astronomy club and could be found under dark skies most weekends, star hopping and learning about telescopes.
 
A volunteer gig in a classroom through the Astronomical Society of the Pacific’s Project ASTRO reminded her how much she liked sharing the sky and eventually she got a job doing what she loves to do - bringing the awe of the universe  to learners of all ages around the world. She administers the NASA Night Sky Network, a community of more than 400 astronomy clubs around the US. She is also working with astronomy educators in Chile, the Tibetan monastic Community in India, and free-choice learners from Girl Scouts to retirees. 
 

After work, she zooms across the bay to her adventurous explorer son. They wander far and wide looking for adventures. They are frequently successful, and can often be found stargazing, swimming, or throwing pots on her kick wheel.  

Spotlight Activities and Events

Explore Alliance Ambassadors

Return to Directory of Ambassadors