Women in Astronomy - Sharon Shen , Branch Manager at Space Telescope Science Institute

• Tell us about yourself

I grew up in South China where my father was an agricultural scientist and my mother was a high school math teacher.?I came to the US to attend college, where I studied Computer Science.?I have always been fascinated with the stars and the sky, although I must admit Physics didn’t come easily for me in school.?My first job was at Raytheon where I started as a Software Engineer.?I developed science data server and storagement server for capturing earth science data from various satellites, which I found very interesting.

• What led you to astronomy

After spending 12 years as data architect at Travelers in IT and Business Intelligence I had the opportunity to join STScI as a Lead Data Architect.?I was excited about this as it afforded me a chance to get into Astronomy at a premier institution to work with prominent scientists and engineers from around the world, while leveraging my knowledge and experience in Computer Science.

• Why are you so passionate about your work at STScI?

I have been at the Institute for 4 years now and have learned so much.?I have broadened my role into a Branch Manager, which gives me more opportunity to see the bigger picture.?Working with so many brilliant and talented individuals is very motivating and inspiring.?It heightens my interest in leveraging the latest advances in technology to support the massive data needs of the science of Astronomy.

• Share an achievement you are most proud of.

So far, I am most proud of bringing in Greenplum as Massive Parallel Processing (MPP) big data technology to the Institute.?This technology makes the storage of massive amounts of science data more efficient and makes some previously impossible massive catalog data search queries actually possible.?We have been applying this technology to the new Nancy Grace Roman Mission data to be launched in 2026.?Advances like these help STScI stay at the forefront of science and bring great value to the astronomical community.

• What are your hobbies outside of work?

I really enjoy cooking.?I grew up where there were lots of different kinds of seafood and I learned a lot about fruits and vegetables as a kid from my father’s research.?I have been able to explore preparing all kinds of different dishes and I like to try new things.

• What advice would you give to women and young girls coming into this field?

Science and Mathematics are very exciting and Astronomy is just one of the many branches of this fascinating world.?With all the advancements in the science and the technology, we need more women to help push the frontiers further.?I would encourage young women to broaden your horizons and keep giving new things a try.?Everyone has a passion and you will find it if you keep looking for it.?Don’t let possible setbacks (like my challenges in Physics) or possible differing expectations of others discourage you.?Everything you run into is a learning opportunity, so it is good to make the most of it.?Sometimes amazing things happen in places you least expect it!