Michael S. Dodge, J.D., LL.M., Editor-in-Chief
Email:  mdodge at astrosociology.org

Michael S. Dodge currently serves as an Assistant Professor & Graduate Program Director in the Department of Space Studies at the University of North Dakota. Prof. Dodge obtained his J.D. from the University of Mississippi School of Law (2008), and his LL.M. in Air & Space Law at McGill Faculty of Law in Montreal, Canada, where he wrote a thesis on “Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) and the GPS-Galileo Agreement”. Prof. Dodge is formerly Research Counsel & Instructor in the LL.M. in Air & Space Law Program at the University of Mississippi School of Law, where he taught courses in aviation law, remote sensing law and regulation, as well as domestic and international space law. At the University of North Dakota, he teaches courses that include space law, history of the space age, space politics & policy, and remote sensing law & regulation. He is also Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Astrosociology, and the Deputy Chief Executive Office for Academic Affairs for the Astrosociology Research Institute. His research interests include the environmental management of outer space, global navigation satellite systems, the concept of sovereignty and ownership rights in space, and the law and regulation of remote sensing technologies..

Jim Pass, Ph.D., Executive Editor
Email:  jpass at astrosociology.org / Twitter:  @astrosociology

Dr. Pass received a doctorate in sociology from the University of Southern California in 1991. He also received a masters degree in sociology from USC in 1984 . Additionally he holds a B.S. in criminal justice and sociology, as well as a M.S. in criminal justice, both from California State University, Long Beach. Long seeking to combine his passion for space exploration with his professional training in sociology, he finally moved ahead with his long-term ambition in 2003 when inspired by an article he found on the internet written by Dr. Allen Tough, called Positive Consequences of SETI Before Detection, that mentioned the term "astrosociology" as a possible new field (see the Virtual Library page). As the founder of astrosociology, Dr. Pass refined the definition and scope of the new field over the next seven months until he was finally ready to publish the first website dedicated exclusively to astrosociology, Astrosociology.com, in July 2003. From that time forward, Dr. Pass and others have continued to refine the definition, which includes how astrosociology is relevant to daily social life and thus to societies, to the social science fields and disciplines, and to the natural and physical science fields and disciplines. Dr. Pass was adamant about expanding the field of astrosociology from a sociology subfield to a multidisciplinary field, which has helped the field develop more quickly in recent years.

Dr. Pass taught the first astrosociology course. He continues make oral presentations as well as write conference papers, articles, and book chapters regarding various subfields and issues related to astrosociology in order to demonstate the scope, relevance, and need to develop this important field. These subfields include astrosociology in the classroom, the definiton of astrosociology, the need to develop astrosociology alongside STEM subjects, planetary defense, spacefaring societies, astrobiology and SETI, applied astrosociology, space colonies and settlements (including the concept of space societies), medical astrosociology, deviance in space habitats, and the need for formalized collaboration between the two major branches of sciences: the social sciences on the one hand, and the physical and natural sciences on the other hand.

Since August 2004, when Dr. Pass met with Dr. Marilyn Dudley-Flores and Thomas Gangale at the American Sociology Association (ASA) meeting in San Francisco, the development of astrosociology carried forward. They brought the field to the American Institute of Aerosnautic and Astronautics (AIAA) and Dr. Pass was instrumental in establishing the Symposium on Astrosociology as part of the Space Propulsion and Energy Sciences International Forum (SPESIF) in 2007, which lasted for three years. In May 2008, these three founding officers formed the Astrosociology Research Institute, sparked by a major push by Dr. Pass.  Although Dr. Dudley-Flores and Mr. Gangale left ARI to pursure other matters, their contributions were invaluable to the development of astrosociology during its formative years.  Dr. Simone Caroti and Mr. Christopher Hearsey joined ARI in 2010 as officers to take their positions, and the field continues to make strong process under ARI's new leadership. Most recently, serveral new officers have joined ARI, including officers Kathleen Toerpe and Renato Rivera Rusca.

In 2011, Dr. Pass assisted Christopher Hearsey with the editing of a special edition of the journal Astropolitics that was dedicated exclusively to astrosociology. He co-wrote the introduction with Mr. Hearsey and contributed the first article examining the definition of astrosociology. Currently, Dr. Pass continues to work on various projects and programs along with officers, advisors, supporters, and volunteers to further the development of the field. Expect major developments in 2013 and 2014.

Renato Rivera Rusca, M.A., Executive Editor
Email:  rrivera at astrosociology.org

Renato Rivera Rusca is a graduate of Japanese Studies at Stirling University in Scotland and has conducted research on Japanese popular culture in Osaka University and Kyoto University. He has lectured at the Manga Faculty at Kyoto Seika University and has participated in many projects involving the Kyoto International Manga Museum since its inception. He is currently a lecturer at the School of Commerce, Meiji University.

In recent years he has administrated an introductory course on social and economic factors related to space exploration and development as part of the Special Themed Practicum classes in Meiji University, and is a member of the "Uchuu seizongaku kenyuukai", a research group for the study of issues pertaining to the changing role of culture in the space age and its imagined future for the survival of mankind.

Luke Idziak, B.A., Assistant Editor

Kevin Maher, Assistant Editor

Matjaz Vidmar, MSc, Assistant Editor

Sheryl Bishop, Ph.D.

Dr. Sheryl Bishop, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor, and Social Psychologist at the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas. She currently serves as Senior Biostatistician for the School of Nursing. From 2001-2007, she served as the curriculum director for UTMB’s Space Life Sciences Ph.D. curriculum. In addition, Dr. Bishop is a faculty at the International Space University, Strasbourg, France, and has contributed yearly to ISU’s Space Science Program since 1994. She served as the co-Chair and Chair for the International Space University’s (ISU) Affiliate Campuses from 1999-2001 and 2006-2008. For the last 20 years, Dr. Bishop has investigated human performance and group dynamics in teams in extreme environments, including deep cavers, mountain climbers, desert survival groups, polar expeditioners and Antarctic winter-over groups and various field simulations of isolated, confined environments for space. She routinely presents her research at numerous scientific conferences, is published in both the medical and psychological fields on topics as diverse as psychometric assessment, research methodology, outcomes research, psychosocial group dynamics and human performance in extreme environments. She has participated in various television documentaries on space and extreme environments by Discovery Channel, BBC, 60 Minutes and the History Channel. Dr. Bishop is a founding member and Board of Trustee member of the Society of Human Performance in Extreme Environments and Senior Editor for the HPEE Journal. She joined the Board of Advisors of the Astrosociology Research Institute (ARI) in June of 2009. Dr. Bishop has served as a grants reviewer for the Canadian Space Agency, Contributing Editor for Life Sciences for Habitation (formerly the Journal of Life Support and Biospheric Sciences) and Review Editor for the Journal of Aviation, Space and Environmental Medicine. Through her extensive work in analog environments into the social psychological and behavioral issues pertinent to long duration space missions, she has strongly supported the emergence of the field of astrosociology as critical to the inclusion of the most essential element of human factors, the interpersonal human, at every level of consideration for successful transition to a space culture. 

P.J. Blount, J.D., LL.M.

P.J. Blount's education: B.A., A.B.J. University of Georgia; J.D., University of Mississippi; LL.M., King’s College London. P.J. Blount is an independent consultant and Adjunct Professor in the LL.M. in Air and Space Law at the University of Mississippi School of Law. His research focuses on legal issues of space security, transnational information flows, and cyberspace governance. He teaches Space Security Law and International Telecommunications Law.

He is a member of the State Bar of Georgia, the International Institute of Space Law (for which he serves as Assistant Executive Secretary), and the American Bar Association?s Forum on Air and Space Law. He is an active member of the space law community and has lectured worldwide on space security issues. He currently serves as editor for the Res Communis Blog, which covers the legal issues involved with human aerospace and cyberspace activities.    

Simone Caroti, Ph.D.

Simone Caroti is Director of Public and Educational Outreach and a member of the board of the Astrosociology Research Institute. In this role, he aims at expanding ARI's membership base and at establishing a set of templates for introducing astrosociological education in schools and colleges across the country. Mr. Caroti is also co-chair of the Astrosociology Symposium at Space Propulsion & Energy Sciences International Forum.>

Dr. Caroti received his BA in Anglo-American literature at the University of Trieste, Italy, in February of 2002, and in the summer of the same year moved to Purdue University, Indiana, to conduct his graduate studies in the Comparative Literature program. He received his MA in 2004, and his Ph.D. in 2009 with a dissertation on the history of the generation starship concept in science fiction. This dissertation is now in the process of becoming a book to be published in the near future.

Dr. Caroti has dedicated his graduate years to the study of science fiction (SF), both as a literary mode in its own right and as a reflection on the variables inherent in the human adventure in space. Specifically, his work for ARI focuses on building conceptual and procedural bridges linking science fiction to the larger field of astrosociology, so as to make it possible to conduct astrosociological studies both of individual SF stories and of entire sub-genres within science fiction. He has published articles for the American Institute of Physics and a book chapter for Purdue University. He is currently an adjunct professor in the English Department at Purdue, teaching introductory composition and professional writing.

Leonard David

Leonard David is a space journalist, reporting on space activities for over 45 years.

He is co-author with Apollo 11’s Buzz Aldrin of Mission to Mars: My Vision for Space Exploration released in May and published by the National Geographic Society.

Mr. David is the 2010 winner of the prestigious National Space Club Press Award, presented this honor during the Club’s annual Robert H. Goddard Memorial Dinner in April 2011 that was held in Washington, D.C.

Currently, Leonard is SPACE.com’s Space Insider Columnist, as well as a correspondent for Space News newspaper and a contributing writer for several magazines, specifically Aerospace America, the membership publication of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). Leonard David has been reporting on space exploration for nearly five decades. Over those years, his writings have appeared in numerous websites, newspapers, magazines and books, such as the Financial Times, Foreign Policy, Private Air, Sky and Telescope, Astronomy, SPACE.com and Space News newspaper, as well as Aerospace America and in supplemental writing for Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine.

Mr. David has been a consultant to NASA, other government agencies and the aerospace industry. In the mid-1980's he served as Director of Research for the National Commission on Space, a U.S. Congress/White House study that appraised the next 50 to 100 years of space exploration.

Leonard is co-author of Extreme Flight: Rocket Science, Sundance/Newbridge Educational Publishing issued in 2006. As a Contributing Essayist, Mr. David's writings can be found in the National Geographic`s Encyclopedia of Space, published in 2004. Leonard is also a co-author of the book Chaos to Cosmos - A Space Odyssey, published by the Denver Museum of Nature & Space in 2003.

In past years, Mr. David has served as editor-in-chief of the National Space Society`s Ad Astra and Space World magazines, as well as the newsstand publication, Final Frontier.

For NASA, Leonard completed the task of writing a majority of the highly regarded Spinoff 1997, Spinoff 1998, and Spinoff 1999 publications. In the past, Leonard has assisted the audio/visual branch by interviewing and writing scripts for the monthly NASA radio program, "The Space Story."

Mr. David has worked with the NASA exhibits branch on public outreach displays, writing text and carrying out photo research on both the commercial uses of space and infrared technologies for astronomy, Earth remote sensing and spinoff applications.

Leonard served as research and technical advisor for the PBS-televised, Living and Working in Space - The Countdown Has Begun, an hour-long science fact/fiction look at careers in space that was premiered on PBS on March 31, 1993.

Leonard was contracted by the producers of the video, the Foundation for Advancements in Science and Education (FASE), to work on the project through 1992 into early 1993.

Mr. David served as a technical consultant to the widely acclaimed Bouncing to Mars: The Inside Story of the Mars Exploration Rover Missions, produced by Passport to Knowledge made possible, in part by the National Science Foundation and released in summer 2003.

Mr. David was also honored to receive the internationally recognized Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) Award for Best Space Submission at the Aerospace Journalist of the Year Awards in England in 2006 and in Paris in 2003.

In 2006, Leonard received the Orbit award for Space Media from the Space Tourism Society honoring his writings over the decades on the burgeoning space tourism industry. Later that year, he won the 2nd Annual Space Journalism award for best article on human spacefaring for January-September 2005 for his article, "Space Tourism: Keeping the Customer Satisfied". In 2001, Mr. David won the National Space Society's Space Pioneer Award for Media.

Leonard David lives in Golden, Colorado with his wife Barbara where the clear, nighttime sky fuels the imagination about space travel to other worlds…as well as concern over lost luggage at Mars.

Peter Detterline, M.A.

Peter Detterline earned a B.A. in secondary education with a concentration in astronomy from Kutztown University. He then went on to receive an M.A. in astronomy and geology from West Chester University.

Mr. Detterline is an avid astronomer whose interests cover a wide range of the astronomical spectrum. He teaches astronomy to people of all ages as Director of the Boyertown Planetarium, and runs a dual credit astronomy class at the school. He was a mentor for students chosen by NASA to work with the Mars Exploration Rover mission, and the Mercury Messenger mission. He is a professor of astronomy at Montgomery County Community College and has worked with the Tzec Maun Foundation providing state-of-the-art internet telescopes in New Mexico and Australia for student use. He was selected as an Astronomy in Chile Educator Ambassador giving programs showing the United States astronomical involvement in the southern hemisphere. He has coauthored numerous papers on eclipsing binaries and contributes to the International Meteor Organization and the American Amateur Variable Star Observers. His interest in archeoastronomy has led to a patent on a ”Rock Fashionable Calendar Horologe,” which is the discovery of a reproducible calendar stone used by early man. A founding member of the Mars Society, he is responsible for the design, construction, implementation, and documentation of the Musk Observatory at the Mars Desert Research Station. He continues to work with Mission Support as Observatory Director for international astronomers who wish to use the facility. As an amateur astronomer, he has traveled the globe to view solar eclipses, built his own observatory, and has completed many observing programs including the Astronomical League’s “Master Observer.”

Nathan Johnson, J.D.

Nathan Johnson received his J.D. from George Washington University Law School, and his LL.M. in Space, Cyber, and Telecommunications Law from University of Nebraska College of Law. He interned with the FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation during SpaceX’s first licensed flights to the International Space Station; and for the U.S. Congress House Committee on Science, Space, & Technology during markup of the NASA Authorization Act and consideration of updates to the Commercial Space Launch Act. He is a member of the International Institute of Space Law, Co-Vice Chair of the American Bar Association’s Space Law Committee, and writes a weekly e-newsletter for law students and young professionals, under the name Astro, Esq..

Ryan L. Kobrick, Ph.D.

Dr. Ryan L. Kobrick works at Space Florida as a Project Manager for Research and Development (since 2012), focusing on Florida research and development efforts including designing statewide business plan and research competitions as well as education programs to catalyze technology development from the academic and business communities. In his volunteer time, Ryan is the Chairman of the Board and President of Yuri's Night (since 2010), a USA 501(c)3 non-profit organization with the aim of connecting hundreds of thousands of people around the world to celebrate and honor the past of human spaceflight, while building a stairway to the future. In 2015, Dr. Kobrick was inducted by the International Astronautical Federation into the Young Space Leaders Recognition Programme. In 2016 Professor Kobrick began lecturing as an Adjunct Faculty for the Florida Institute of Technology at their Spaceport campus at KSC.

Dr. Kobrick received his Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Queen's University (Kingston, Ontario 2002), Master's of Space Studies degree from the International Space University (Strasbourg, France 2003), Master's of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University (University Park, PA 2005), and Doctorate of Philosophy degree in Aerospace Engineering Sciences (focus: Bioastronautics) from the University of Colorado at Boulder (Boulder, CO 2010). His NASA GSRP Fellow Ph.D. work with NASA Glenn Research Center was titled "Characterization and Measurement Standardization of Lunar Dust Abrasion for Spacecraft Design and Operations". Ryan participated as a crewmember of simulated Mars missions four times at in Utah (2004-2007) and was selected for a 100-day simulation in the High Canadian Arctic on Devon Island, Nunavut (2007). He worked at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as a Postdoctoral Associate in the Man-Vehicle Laboratory on a gambit of space exploration research projects (2010-2012). He plays ice hockey, sails/races, SCUBA dives, skis, hikes, and enjoys photography and film making.

Ron Kohl

Ron Kohl has been involved in the large systems development and integration business for 30 yrs, including involvement on NASA’s Space Shuttle Onboard Flight Software project and the Space Station (Freedom) Data Management System. Ron is President of R. J. Kohl & Associates and is also an Independent Consultant at the Software Engineering Institute (SEI), a government FFRDC.

Mr. Kohl has a B.S. and M.S. in Mathematics.

Ron is a member of the AIAA, IEEE and INCOSE. Ron is an active member and currently the vice-chair of the AIAA’s Space Colonization Technical Committee, a member and past chair of the Software Systems TC and an original member of the Astrosociology Subcommittee of the Society and Technology TC.

Mr. Kohl’s interests include: LEO as an Economic Development Zone, the Social/Cultural needs of future space settlers, the identification and preparation for our future ‘in-space’ workforce and determining infrastructure services to support various space missions.

Ron has delivered over 20 papers or presentation on various space related topics over the last 15 years.

Graham Lau, Ph.D.

Dr. Graham Lau has an educational background in chemistry (A.S.), biology (B.S.,), astrophysics (non-degree), and geology (Ph.D.). His research has focused on how life functions on diverse environments on Earth and how we might look for life elsewhere in the universe. This has included his work on sulfur geochemistry and mineralogy at a unique microbial habitat in the Canadian High Arctic. Dr. Lau also has interests in the philosophy of science fiction and in how to effectively share science with the public. While studying astrobiology, he became interested in the astrosociological factors that drive humans to explore, to ask questions about whether or not we are alone in the cosmos, and in the ways that different human cultures approach space exploration and frame their view of our place in the cosmos. Known also as The Cosmobiologist, Dr. Lau now co-hosts the NASA-funded show Ask an Astrobiologist and serves as the Director of Communications and Marketing for Blue Marble Space.

Geoffrey Notkin, B.F.A.

Geoff Notkin hosts the STEM Journals for Cox Communications and the multi-award-winning television adventure series Meteorite Men for Science Channel. He has also appeared in shows for Discovery, NASA EDGE, TLC, PBS, A&E, National Geographic Channel, History Channel, Travel Channel, and the BBC. Geoff is a science writer, meteorite specialist, photographer, world traveler, and the owner of Aerolite Meteorites LLC, a company that provides meteorite specimens to collectors and institutions worldwide. He has appeared on Coast to Coast and the Today show, and has been interviewed by The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, Space.com, and many other leading publications.

An award-winning author, Geoff has published more than 150 articles on meteoritics, paleontology, astronomy, adventure travel, history, and the arts, with his work appearing in Astronomy, Astronomy Now, Sky & Telescope, All About Space, USA Today, Wired, Reader’s Digest, The Village Voice, Seed, Rock & Gem, Geotimes, Meteorite, and many other national and international publications. He is the author of the books Meteorite Hunting: How To Find Treasure From Space and Rock Star: Adventures Of A Meteorite Man, and a popular science and arts blog, The Logical Lizard, for Tucson Citizen.com.

Gerhard Sonnert, Ph.D.

Dr. Gerhard Sonnert is a sociologist of science, working as a research associate in the Harvard College Observatory and as a lecturer in astronomy at Harvard University. He has taught an undergraduate course on astrosociology in the Harvard astronomy department since 2017, and he has also offered a condensed version of the course in the Harvard Summer School. He has a particular interest in the religious aspects of astrosociology and has published, with his teaching fellow Jais Brohinsky, a study titled "Religion and Extraterrestrials: An Astrosociological Perspective" (Glossolalia 8, no. 2 [2018]: 3-35). [It is also available in the ARI Virtual Library]. Other research interests include gender in science, science education, science policy, migration, and the history of science. He holds M.A. and doctoral degrees in sociology from the University of Erlangen, Germany, and an M.P.A. from Harvard University.

Alan Steinberg, Ph.D.

Alan Steinberg is an Associate Director of the Center for Civic Leadership at Rice University. Previously, he served as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Political Science and as a member of the Center for the Study of Disasters and Emergency Management at Sam Houston State University. Alan's research interests include the influences of social media on political engagement, applied political science education, and space policy. Alan holds a Ph.D and a M.A. in Political Science from the University of Houston, a M.S. in Defense Strategic Studies from Missouri State University, a Graduate Certificate in International Affairs from Bush School of Public Service and a B.S. in Psychology from Texas A&M University.

Alan is also active in the space community serving on the Global Executive Team for Yuri's Night, as a Regional Coordinator for the Space Generation Advisory Council, and as a member of the board of directors for the Moon Society. Alan's reserach on space has appeared in Astropolitics, Space Policy, and The Space Review. His current space related reserach focuses on the role of social media in space advocacy and public opinion towards space policy.

Michael Waltemathe, Ph.D.

Michael Waltemathe is senior lecturer in religious education at the department of Protestant Theology at Ruhr-University Bochum in Germany. Michael's academic interests include the relationship between human space exploration and religion, connections between media, art and religion (esp. video-games and religion) and the science-religion debate and its place in religious education. His latest publications include the monograph “Playing Religion. Appropriate use of computer-games in religious education”, Hamburg 2011 (German), and the articles “Bridging Multiple Realities: Religion, Play and Alfred Schutz’s Theory of the Life-World”, in: Campbell, Grieve (eds.): Playing with Religion in Digital Games, IN, 2014 (in press) and “A Religious Vision for Interstellar Travel?” in ta katoptrizomena 89 - Exotheologie http://www.theomag.de/89/. Dr. Waltemathe also co-authored “Destination 2064”, a computer-game for the John Calvin-anniversary in 2009. He is currently working on a project concerning analytical approaches to the science-religion debate in religious education.

Frank White, M.Phil.

Frank White is a communications consultant and author. He coined the phrase “The Overview Effect” to describe the experience of astronauts and cosmonauts as they looked at the Earth from orbit or the Moon.

He is the author of The Overview Effect: Space Exploration and Human Evolution, and is the author or co-author of nine other books ranging in subject matter from space exploration to climate change. He co-authored Think About Space and March of the Millennia with Isaac Asimov. In 2007, he delivered the keynote address at the first Overview Effect conference, which focused largely on the insights contained in The Overview Effect. He is a co-founder of the Overview Institute, which was established in part to advance the ideas contained in the book. He is a Distinguished Visiting Professor at Kepler Space Institute and has also taught at the International Space University.

Born in Greenwood, Mississippi, Frank came to the Boston area to attend Harvard College in 1962. He concentrated in social studies, graduating magna cum laude. He was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and attended Oxford University on a Rhodes Scholarship, earning an MPhil in politics in 1969.

As a professional communicator, Frank has experience with a wide range of media, including radio, television, print, and the World Wide Web. He has also worked in a number of disciplines, including journalism and public relations, as well as development communications.