Logo
Tara Ruttley Headshot
Report a problem with this profile
[email protected]

Tara Ruttley          

Chief Scientist at Blue Origin; Former NASA Scientist & Aquanaut

Tara Ruttley, PhD is Blue Origin's Chief Scientist for the future commercial space station, Orbital Reef.

Prior to joining Blue Origin, Dr. Ruttley spent over 20 years at NASA, where she managed engineering and science plans for the International Space Station (ISS) and was NASA’s Associate Chief Scientist for Exploration and Applied Research for Low Earth Orbit and the Artemis lunar mission program.

Dr. Ruttley holds degrees in biology, mechanical engineering, neuroscience, and anthropology-archaeology. She has authored publications ranging from hardware design to neurological science, and also holds a U.S. utility patent, and is a keynote speaker who empowers others to better adapt to any situation by helping them understand how their brains process novelty.

Speech Topics

Science Communication

Science is hotter than ever these days! It’s controversial, cultural, relevant, and the basis of a functional democratic society. But none of this matters if you’re speaking science-y jargon to the folks who really do want to care and want to do something with your results! Climate change, genetics, food production, health…the public wants to learn and take action but sometimes you’re just confusing them. Learn the importance of becoming a relevant story teller so that your research can impact your stakeholders: the general public, your investors/funding reviewers, congress, the media, and your grandmother! Tara has a decade of experience in speaking to audiences on complicated science topics, and has learned relevant tactics to share with her fellow science colleagues to help them lose the "so what?" gaze during conversation.

Student Motivation Keynote Speaker

Tara grew up in southern Louisiana and was the first in her family to graduate college. As an undergraduate, she stumbled upon the McNair Scholar program, who took her in and motivated her to complete her graduate degrees. Now she enjoys speaking to university students who are looking for someone who can motivate them to push through the adversity, obtain that degree and land that dream career. Tomorrow, next week, next month, next year is going to come no matter what! What will that look like for you?

Beyond the Routine Keynote Speaker

What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever done? Most courageous? Most memorable? Our brains are literally rewired for the better when we try new experiences. This makes it easier for us to adapt to change and build resiliency. We are Everyday People: parents, leaders, executives, teachers, professionals, learners, introverts, and extroverts. And we all have our daily routines that work (and sometimes they just don’t!). Tara’s got stories to tell (and no, she’s never jumped out of an airplane!) and opportunities to share that will motivate you to get out and do something new, big or small, beyond your daily routine. Realize your full potential when you grow through nw experiences! You can also connect on her Facebook page and encourage each other to try new or exciting things. Maybe she will join you!

News

Radiation and Boredom: Manned Mars Mission Faces Challenges
... said Tara Ruttley, a program scientist for the International Space Station (ISS). .... I'm sorry... Did you ask if NASA could remove Mars from its place in the Solar ...
How NASA Broke The Gender Barrier In STEM | Fast Company ...
Dr. Tara Ruttley manages the science programs aboard the International Space .... "The future is bright for the founding class of Datanauts, and I'm excited to see  ...

Related Speakers View all

More like Tara