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Christina Moats-Xavier

Credits: Christina Moats-Xavier

What do you do?

I am the Deputy Program Manager for the Earth System Science Pathfinder Program.

How do you support ESSP projects?

I am responsible for ensuring day to day successful operations, identifying and implementing solutions to problems, and supporting/developing all members of the team in order to ensure the success of our team members and all of the Projects in the ESSP portfolio.

Why is ESSP and the Science important to you?

I love to explore and experience new things. This has included record-breaking, gale force winds in the Scottish Highlands; trekking to Everest Base Camp; and learning about the various cultures while hiking in the Himalayas. Traveling and being out in nature is a big part of these adventures.

I was raised on the west coast of the US, spent many years in the mountains of West Virginia, and now live on the US east coast. In each location, I’ve experienced noticeable changes in the weather over time. I am concerned about our impact on the Earth and how this will influence future generations. The Science obtained by the ESSP projects is enabling understanding, modeling, and prediction of Earth system science processes; this can be used by stakeholders and decision makers to enact change. I feel privileged to be a small part of this.

Alicia Chipman

What do you do at ESSP?

I am the Configuration Manager/IT Specialist at the Earth System Science Program office. I have the privilege of working with talented project managers and scientists from around the world. I am also honored to provide the public face of ESSP by curating and maintaining our public access website, bringing our story and sharing the findings of our amazing Earth missions.

How do you support ESSP projects?

My position provides records management for our missions and process development for our program office. I ensure that we are keeping our mission documentation according to contract requirements, NASA standards, export controls and privacy. I also provide a venue for scientists to share their amazing discoveries and data through our public access website.

How does the work ESSP does impact the lives of this generation and future generations?

I feel that what we do here at ESSP is vital to the future of our planet and the lives of future generations who will live here. We are providing oversight to extremely important studies of how our planet is changing and how it adversely affects the air we breathe, water we drink, and habitats we live in. Providing these studies gives leaders information in order to make decisions about changes in policy that can help to heal our planet and provide future generations with the same privilege of an amazing, and beautiful planet on which to live.

Why is ESSP and the Science important to you?

ESSP and the Science that happens under our purview is important to me because I have spent my whole life seeing the way that our planet is changing. The area I grew up in is being visibly affected by sea level rise. Places that I used to play as a child are under water. Summer storms are getting more prevalent and increasingly severe. The air we breathe and the water we drink are contaminated by chemicals. I believe that we owe our children a safe place to live where they can drink the water and breathe without fear. I love working at ESSP and seeing the science that is striving to change people’s views of our ecosystems and giving the world data to help facilitate change.

What do you think will happen if we don’t address this issue? Is there an urgency?

If we do not address the issues investigated through ESSP and other scientific organizations we are going to lose our fresh air, clean water, homes, food and habitats. We tend to think of things from a very narrow view of the world. If we don’t change this view and implement solutions NOW the problem will only get worse. These are urgent issues as the Earth is our responsibility to preserve and the longer we delay action, the worse things will become. When your boat has a hole in it you don’t wait until it sinks to fix it…