Moira Gunn
| Moira Gunn | |
|---|---|
 Moira Gunn speaks in October 2014 | |
| Born | Staten Island, New York |
| Nationality | United States |
| Education |
University of San Francisco (B.S.) Purdue University (M.S.) Purdue University (Ph.D.) |
| Known for | Public Radio host |
Moira Gunn is host of the public radio program Tech Nation and its regular segment BioTech Nation. It airs on the National Public Radio. 24-hour program stream, the NPR Now channels at SiriusXM Satellite Radio, American Forces Radio International, and public radio stations, among other venues. Tech Nation episodes are normally based on an interview with the author of a science or technology book. BioTech Nation is based on interviews with significant people in the field of bio-technology, as well as regular discussions with science journalist David Ewing Duncan.
Personal life
Moira Gunn was born in Staten Island, New York, and moved with her family to California at the age of ten, settling in Menlo Park, just as Silicon Valley was coming into its own, and Sand Hill Road was open space - not the haunt of world-renowned venture capitalists. Technology start-ups were everywhere, and even decades later, the Gunn family's mid-sized bungalow on Santa Margarita Avenue was just three doors down from another modest home, this one owned by Susan Wojcicki, who rented her garage to Sergey Brin and Larry Page as the first digs for Google.
Dr. Gunn now lives in San Francisco, producing and hosting Tech Nation and BioTech Nation at KQED, and being a professor in the School of Management at the University of San Francisco, where she founded and directs the Business of Biotechnology program.
Education
Dr. Gunn's degrees include a BS in Computer Science from the University of San Francisco, a MS and Computer Science from Purdue and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University [1]
Career
Gunn's early career included work at NASA on large-scale scientific computation and global communications, with special emphasis in infrared satellite image processing, computational fluid dynamics, and global climate and weather modeling. She also did work in robotics engineering at IBM, Morton Thiokol, United Technologies/Pratt & Whitney, Lockheed-Martin, Rolls-Royce, and the US Navy.[2]
Gunn was the first woman to earn a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Purdue University, where she also earned an M.S. in computer science. In 2008 she was awarded an honorary doctorate in science from Purdue.[1]
Moira Gunn is an Assistant Professor in the School of Management at the University of San Francisco.[3]
Honors
In 2011 she received the Public Service Award from the National Science Board, for her contributions to the public understanding of science and technology.[4]
References
- 1 2 "Moira Gunn Purdue University Alumni Page".
- ↑ "Moira Gunn Bio". Tech Nation Media. 2007.
- ↑ "Moira Gunn - Faculty page at University of San Francisco".
- ↑ "The National Science Board Announces Recipient of 2011 Public Service Award". National Science Foundation. National Science Foundation. 1 April 2011. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
The National Science Board (NSB) announced today that the founder of the public radio program Tech Nation, Moira Gunn, will receive its 2011 Public Service Award.