Dr. Maria Womack is a Professor of Physics and Astronomy and Observatory Director at St. Cloud State University.  She received her PhD in physics from Arizona State University in Tempe.  Afterward, she served as postdoctoral researcher at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff and an assistant professor at Pennsylvania State University at Erie before joining the faculty at St. Cloud State.  She teaches courses in a range of upper division astrophysics and observational astronomy, as well as introductory courses in physics, astronomy and astrobiology.  Maria received the CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation and has supervised over 50 students in research.  For the last four years she has worked on assignment to the National Science Foundation outside Washington, D.C. as a program director, where she has led the stellar-astronomy and planetary-astronomy grant programs. Maria is with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.