Join nuclear physicist and podcaster Shelly Lesher, Los Alamos Historical Society and the Los Alamos Creative District for History on Tap online at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 13. Photo Courtesy LAHS
Join the Los Alamos Historical Society and the Los Alamos Creative District for History on Tap online at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 13.Explore how nuclear science has impacted and changed the world with Shelly Lesher, nuclear physicist and host of the podcast My Nuclear Life.
History on Tap is free, and the public can register to attend via Zoom here.
July 16, 1945 in a New Mexico desert, the Trinity Test ushered in the Nuclear Age. No other piece of technology has penetrated the American consciousness like the nuclear bomb or found a place in everything from culture to medicine.
In her podcast My Nuclear Life, Lesher explores the intersection of nuclear science and society using interviews from historians, policymakers, experts in their fields, and first-hand accounts. In this History on Tap conversation, she will reflect on some highlights from her podcast interviews and the many ways that nuclear science affects our world, from the technical to the cultural.
Lesher is a Professor and Chair of Physics at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse (UWL) and a Guest Professor at the University of Notre Dame, with an active research program in experimental low-energy nuclear physics and developing the next generation of scientists. In 2021 she was appointed the Director of UWL’s McNair Scholars Program, which prepares students for doctoral studies.
Lesher has authored more than 55 scientific publications that focus on understanding the structure of nuclei in journals such as Physical Review C, Physical Review Letters, and Nuclear Physics A. Her scientific research is funded by the National Science Foundation. Serving as the Director of the Division of Nuclear Physics Conference Experience for Undergraduate (CEU) program, she works with undergraduate students who will attend a national nuclear physics conference to present their research.
Lesher is also interested in the intersection of physics and human rights and has served as the chair of the American Physical Society’s Committee on International Freedom of Scientists. She works on educating non-science majors in nuclear issues, which includes developing and hosting a podcast on the intersection of nuclear science and society called My Nuclear Life that is available to the public.
She received her Ph.D. from the University of Kentucky and has held postdoctoral fellowships at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Lesher was named a Yale Presidential Visiting Scholar for the 2019-2020 academic year and in 2020 a Fellow of the American Physical Society.
History on Tap is part of the On Tap series presented by the Los Alamos Creative District. Each evening begins with a short, informal presentation followed by a lively group discussion. Learn more at https://www.creativelosalamos.com.
The Los Alamos Historical Society preserves, promotes, and communicates the remarkable history and inspiring stories of Los Alamos and its people for our community, for the global audience, and for future generations. More information about the Historical Society can be found at www.losalamoshistory.org. Stay up to date with the latest news from the Historical Society by following @LosAlamosHistory on Facebook and Instagram.