Heidi, Waimea Middle School teacher Nau'i Murphy, Kenyan Beals (IfA)

fields of research, for which Hammel is profiled. "It is our hope that Heidi's visit and the donation of the books will inspire many of the students", says Fujihara, who adds that, "we are particularly hopeful that girls will be able to identify with Heidi, that they can excel in areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, and even attain careers in those fields."

Waimea students were treated to insights as to what it is like to be a scientist, and whether Pluto is a planet. Heidi Hammel, Senior Research Scientist at the Space Science Institute, is on Hawaii Island this week, observing on the WM Keck Observatory and the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility at night. By day, Heidi normally sleeps when observing, but on Monday, August 13, she visited the campus of Waimea Middle School to talk to the students of Science Department Head Nau'i Murphy and other teachers at the conversion charter school.

The University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy office of Science Education and Public Outreach coordinated the visit after noticing that Heidi, who received her PhD in astronomy from the Institute for Astronomy was going to be on island using telescopes on the summit of Mauna Kea.

Besides coordinating the school visit, IfA is also donating a book series entitled "Women's Adventures in Science", published by the National Academies Press. The books are a collection of biographies of ten women scientists from several

Newspaper article on Heidi