Mika McKinnon

Mika McKinnon
Residence Bay Area, California
Alma mater University of California, Santa Barbara
The University of British Columbia
Known for Disaster research, Stargate
Scientific career
Fields Geophysics, Disaster Research, Science Communication
Institutions SETI Institute
FEMA
Gizmodo
Natural Resources Canada
Thesis Landslide runout: statistical analysis of physical characteristics and model parameters (2010)
Academic advisors Oldrich Hungr
Website Website

Mika McKinnon is a Canadian field geophysicist, disaster researcher, and science communicator. She is currently a co-investigator of the SETI Institute's Project ESPRESSO and science adviser to the science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe.[1]

Education & early career

McKinnon received her Bachelor of Science in Physics from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2005, attending the College of Creative Studies. There, she re-launched the Society of Physics Students chapter and led a student colloquia on science in fiction.[2] She received her Master of Science in Geophysics from the University of British Columbia in 2010.[3] Her graduate work centered on assessing and managing risk of landslides using statistical models to map their physical characteristics to better predict landslide runout and reduce the number of casualties and the extent of the damage.[4][5]

Research career

McKinnon's research interests center on disaster management, preparedness, and communication, working at the intersection of scientific research, advocacy and policy. In the policy arena, she resolved to apply her expertise in both science and communication to teach science to disaster managers, revising Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) science curriculum for emergency managers as a contractor and working on several projects with Natural Resources Canada.[2][6]

McKinnon is currently a co-investigator of Project ESPRESSO, lending her expertise in terrestrial landslides and hazard mapping towards the project's goal of characterizing extraterrestrial target surfaces—asteroids, comets, and moons—and reducing other operational risks for robots and humans in space exploration.[7] The project, which represents a consortium of seven partner institutions, was proposed in response to NASA's 2016 call for Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute nodes, and is one of thirteen selected projects resulting from that call.[8] She holds a joint appointment at the SETI Institute, one of ESPRESSO's partner institutions.

Science communication

McKinnon's science communication efforts range from popular science writing to consulting on the hit television show Stargate.[9][6] In a profile with her alma mater, UCSB, she notes that her interest in communication stemmed from the media's misrepresentation of a major landslide in the Pacific Northwest.[2] She was a contributing editor for Gawker Media, providing coverage on popular science topics for io9 and later became a science writer for Gizmodo.[10] Her bylines cover a range of topics including space exploration, dinosaur discovery, the convergence of science and art, and disaster preparedness. Her writing appearing outlets like in Wired UK, Smithsonian Magazine, Ars Technica, and Astronomy.[11][12][13][14] She currently volunteers for the National Academy of Sciences Science & Entertainment Exchange, providing subject matter expertise to the entertainment industry for more accurate depictions of science in the media.[15]

References

  1. ↑ Wagner, Sarah (2017-04-18). "Young Professional Profile: Mika McKinnon, UBC M.S. '10". Yale Scientific Magazine. Retrieved 2018-07-27.
  2. 1 2 3 "Disasters and Space Exploration | UCSB College of Creative Studies". ccs.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 2018-07-27.
  3. ↑ McKinnon, Mika (2010). Landslide runout: statistical analysis of physical characteristics and model parameters (Thesis). University of British Columbia.
  4. ↑ McDougall, Scott; McKinnon, Mika; Hungr, Oldrich (2012-08-23). "Developments in landslide runout prediction". Landslides: Types, Mechanisms and Modeling. Cambridge University Press. pp. 187–195. ISBN 9781139560399.
  5. ↑ McKinnon, Mika; Hungr, Oldrich; McDougall, Scott (2008). "Dynamic Analyses of Canadian Landslides" (PDF). Proceedings of the 4th Canadian Conference on Geohazards : From Causes to Management.
  6. 1 2 "Profiles In Versatility: Mika McKinnon". American Physical Society. Retrieved 2018-07-27.
  7. ↑ "Team". ESPRESSO. Retrieved 2018-07-26.
  8. ↑ "U.S. Teams". Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute. Retrieved 2018-07-26.
  9. ↑ "This Physicist Makes Sure 'Stargate' Is Scientifically Accurate". Inverse. Retrieved 2018-07-26.
  10. ↑ "Mika McKinnon". Kinja.com. Retrieved 2018-07-27.
  11. ↑ "Mika McKinnon | WIRED". www.wired.com. Retrieved 2018-07-27.
  12. ↑ "Articles by Mika McKinnon | Smithsonian". www.smithsonianmag.com. Retrieved 2018-07-27.
  13. ↑ "As fires rage, emergency responders rely on familiar apps to save lives". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2018-07-27.
  14. ↑ "Mika McKinnon". Astronomy.com. Retrieved 2018-07-27.
  15. ↑ "Scientist Spotlight: Mika McKinnon – Exchange". scienceandentertainmentexchange.org. Retrieved 2018-07-27.
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