Mary Kicza was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1959.  She earned a bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from California State University and a masters degree in Business Administration from the Florida Institute of Technology.  Mary started her federal career as a coop student working as a civil servant for the Air Force at McClellan Air Force Base in Sacramento, California.  She worked at McClellan as an engineer developing software for automated test systems supporting Air Force satellite systems.  In 1982, Mary came to work for NASA where she

Captain Maureen Kenny was born in 1953 in Richmond, California. She graduated from Michigan State University in 1975 with a degree in Mathematics, and immediately joined the NOAA Corps when she was twenty-two. After training at Kings Point Maritime Academy, Captain Kenny reported to the NOAA Ship Davidson in Anchorage, Alaska. Her assignments took her all over the country throughout her career. She also attended Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, and earned her master's in Oceanography/Hydrography.

Max Mayfield was born on September 19, 1948, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He attended the University of Oklahoma, earning a Bachelor of Science in Meteorology. He began his career with the National Weather Service in 1972 and held various positions within the organization before becoming the director of the National Hurricane Center in 2000. Mayfield pursued further education at Florida State University, obtaining a Master of Science degree in Meteorology. During his tenure, he provided expertise and guidance during numerous significant hurricanes, including Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

On October 19, 2021, Molly Graham interviewed Nezette Rydell remotely for the NOAA 50th Oral History Project. Rydell, born in 1955 in San Antonio, Texas, pursued a career in meteorology, influenced by early experiences with extreme weather events. She earned a degree in meteorology from Texas A&M University, where she was among the few women in the program. In the interview, Rydell discusses her formative years, family background, and the influence of the space race on her educational interests.

Nir Barnea was born in Israel in 1956. Nir’s father, Daniel Barnea, survived the Holocaust, while his grandparents were deported and killed in Auschwitz in 1945.  Nir graduated in 1974 from Har Vagai High School in Upper Galilee, Israel, and served in the Israel Defense Forces until 1977.  Nir immigrated to the United States and earned his BS in Microbiology from the University of Washington, in Seattle.  He continued his graduate education at UW, earning a master’s degree in Environmental Health.  Nir is also a Certified Industrial Hygienist.

Commander Pamela Chelgren-Koterba, born in 1950 in Annapolis, Maryland, grew up in various places across the United States. She was the third of seven children in the family of Captain John Chelgren, a distinguished U.S. Navy officer, and Ruth Henderson, a talented singer. Growing up, Pam played the piano and flute.  She studied bioengineering at the University of California, Berkeley, and graduated in 1972. During her time at Berkeley, she worked at the Space Sciences Laboratory, contributing to the OGO 5 satellite data verification. In 1972, Pamela joined the NOAA Corps.

Dr. Pamela Heinselman was born in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1970 and moved to Maryland before her first birthday.  She came back to Missouri to study at St. Louis University, earning an undergraduate and master of science degree in meteorology there.  She went on to the University of Illinois to pursue a PhD in Atmospheric Sciences, but left after a semester to work for the University of Oklahoma Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies.  Her work there focused on the Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler which was being implemented throughout the U.S.

Biographical Sketch

Dr. Richard Feely grew up in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Influenced by his love of the outdoors and exposure to Jacques Cousteau, Feely knew he would grow up to be an environmental scientist as early as the eighth grade. He earned his degree from St. Thomas University in his hometown, graduating with a degree in Chemistry in 1969. Feely then earned his master's and Ph.D. in Chemical Oceanography from Texas A&M University. He has worked for the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory in Seattle, Washington, from 1974 until the present.

Mr. Robert Hansen was born in on Earth Day, April 22, 1949, in Bayshore, New York.  He was the first in his family to attend college, and earned his Bachelor’s and then a Master's Degree in Geography from the University at Albany.  Mr. Hansen came to work for NOAA as a cartographer in Aeronautical Charting.  He then worked as a technical information specialist for the National Ocean Service, chief of the NOAA Map Library, constituent affairs specialist, NOAA Historian, and retired as the national outreach coordinator for Education.