Nigerien scientist
Fadji Maina is a Nigerien Earth scientist at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. She was previously working in the field of hydrogeology at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory where she used computational model using supercomputers to study the effects of climate change on water sustainability and predict future needs. Her research has demonstrated that wildfire in California counterintuitively increase the water availability in the watersheds, as the barren lands impact the snowpack dynamics. She also studies the potential effects of drought in African Sahel region, advocating for a holistic response including girl education and family planning, increase in agricultural production and local security.
From: Wikiquote (CC BY-SA 4.0)
From Wikidata (CC0)
Studying the complexities of the Earth’s natural systems is most exciting to me. I really enjoy thinking about different ways to unravel some of these complexities. The water cycle is like a puzzle – it may take time to get the right pieces and put them together, but once it is done, it is beautiful to see how the story unfolds and comes together. It is fascinating to understand how a tiny piece of Mother Nature works and how human beings are altering the natural systems.
Sometimes the place you are used to is not the place you belong. You belong where you believe you belong.” This is a quote from “Queen of Katwe”, a book by Tim Crothers and also a Disney film, narrating the story of a young Ugandan girl Phiona Mutesi, a chess prodigy, who overcame many stereotypes and broke a lot of barriers to become a woman candidate master after her victories at World Chess Olympiads.