Antígona Segura

Curriculum

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Education

• B. Sc. (Physics). Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Mexico, 1994. Thesis: Polarizabilidad de Mie en tres diferentes teorías de Campo Medio.

• M. Sc. (Astronomy). Instituto de Astronomía, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, 1997. Obtained by general exams.

• Specialization on Popularization of Science. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, 1998.

• Ph.D. (Space Physics) with Honorific Mention. Thesis: Nitrogen fixation by volcanic lightning on early Mars. Earth Sciences Graduate Program, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, 2001. (Abstract ).

Scientific Societies

• President of the Sociedad Mexicana de Astrobiología (SOMA) 2011-2013.

Awards

• The Best Student Medal. This medal is giving to the top undergraduate students in the country, 1994. Given by the National Department of Education and the newspaper El Diario de México.

• Alfonso Caso Medal given by the National University of México (UNAM) to distinguished graduate students, 2001. (Artículo en español de la Gaceta UNAM sobre la premiación).

Fellowships

• Summer Research Fellowship for undergraduate students to work with a Mexican scientist, National Council of Science and Technology, 1994.

• Fellowship from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México to study the Master in Science, 1995-1997.

• Fellowship from the National Council of Science and Technology for graduate studies (Ph.D. program), 1998-2001.

Professional experience

• Research assistant in the Institute of Astronomy from 1995 to 1998. During this time she worked in the research group of Dr. Arcadio Poveda. She actively participate in the projects: Dynamic evolution of double stars and the nature of the perturbing objects; Kinematics, ages and evolutionary status of UV Ceti stars; and Double stars in the Hyades and Orion clusters.

• Postdoctoral researcher at Pennsylvania State University from November 2002 to May 2005. Her research has been focused on the numerical simulation of the atmospheres of Earth-like exoplanets using climate and photochemical models. The purpose of her research is to determine which biogenic compounds could be remotely detected by instruments as the Terrestrial Planet Finder and Darwin. The project is lead by Dr. James Kasting at the Penn State Astrobiology Research Center a member of the NASA Astrobiology Institute.

• Postdoctoral researcher at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory associated to the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). She worked as part of the Virtual Planetary Laboratory lead by Dr. Victora S. Meadows. June 2005 to November 2006.

• Associate Researcher. Tenure track research position at the Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. From November 15, 2006 to present.

Editorial Boards of International Journals

• Astrobiology. 2010

Education and Public Outreach

• Teacher associated to the Astronomy graduate program and the Earth Sciences graduate program at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.

• Regularly she gives talks for non-scientific public about search of life in the universe, the possibility of life in Mars and general astronomy. 1994 to date.

• Weekly broadcast about science in Tere Aviña en Fórmula, since June 2008 to date.

• Writer for the magazine ¿Cómo ves?, a popularization of science magazine edited by the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México 2005 to date.

• Science writer for the news agency of Academia Mexicana de Ciencias. 2002.

• She collaborated as science writer in the magazine Casa del Tiempo edited by the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana .1999.

• Teaching assistant (Modern Physics II). Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 1997-2000.

• She conduced a weekly one hour broadcast about science and technology in Radio Red AM, a radio station with national coverage, 1997-1999.

Participation in scientific meetings (2006 to 2009 only)

• Atmospheric Chemistry on Planets in the Habitable Zone of F, G, K and M Main Sequence Stars. Antígona Segura, Victoria Suzanne Meadows, James F Kasting, Lucianne Walkowicz, Martin Cohen. American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting 2009. San Francisco, California, EU. December, 14-18, 2009. Invited.

• Habitabilidad de planetas alrededor de enanas rojas: efecto de las ráfagas estelares en la química atmosférica. Antígona Segura Peralta, Lucianne Walkowicz, Victoria Meadows, James Kasting, Suzanne Hawley. VI Reunión de la Sociedad Mexicana de Astrobiología, Instituto de Astronomía, UNAM, México, D.F. 16 y 17 de junio de 2009. Presentación oral.

• Pérdida de masa atmosférica por erosión de vientos estelares en planetas alrededor de estrellas M de secuencia principal. Jesus Zendejas Domínguez, Antígona Segura Peralta, Alejandro Raga. VI Reunión de la Sociedad Mexicana de Astrobiología, Instituto de Astronomía, UNAM, México, D.F. 16 y 17 de junio de 2009. Presentación en cartel.

• Efecto de la fotoevaporación en la migración planetaria en discos circunestelares (Proyecto en curso). Ramiro Alvarez Meraz, Antigona Segura, Sean Raymond, Avi Mandell. VI Reunión de la Sociedad Mexicana de Astrobiología, Instituto de Astronomía, UNAM, México, D.F. 16 y 17 de junio de 2009. Presentación en cartel.

• Terraformando Marte: Calentamiento de la atmósfera marciana utilizando óxidos de nitrógeno. Sandro Cervantes Núñez, Antígona Segura Peralta, Rafael Navarro González. VI Reunión de la Sociedad Mexicana de Astrobiología, Instituto de Astronomía, UNAM, México, D.F. 16 y 17 de junio de 2009. Presentación en cartel.

• Detección de vida en mundos alrededor de otras estrellas: Lecciones de nuestro planeta. Antígona Segura Peralta, Victoria Meadows, James Kasting, John Scalo, David Crisp, Martin Cohen. LI Congreso Nacional de Física, Zacatecas, Zacatecas. 20 al 24 de octubre de 2008. Presentación en cartel.

• Astrobiología en México: La Sociedad Mexicana de Astrobiología. LI Congreso Nacional de Física, Zacatecas, Zacatecas. 20 al 24 de octubre de 2008. Presentación en cartel.

• Ultraviolet environment on planets in the habitable zone of F, G, K and M main sequence stars. A. Segura, J. F. Kasting, J. Scalo, V. Meadows, D. Crisp, M. Cohen. 37th COSPAR Scientific Assembly. July 13-20, 2008. Montreal, Canadá. Invited talk.

• Oxygen and ozone abiotic production on high carbon dioxide terrestrial atmospheres. A. Segura, V. Meadows, J. F. Kasting, M. Cohen, D. Crisp. Astrobiology Science Conference. Santa Clara, California, EU. April, 2008. Poster presentation.

• La Tierra vista como exoplaneta, Antígona Segura. Coloquio Origen y Estructura del Sistema Solar. Instituto de Astronomía, UNAM. Agosto 2007. Presentación oral.

• Abiotic Production of O₂ and O₃ on High CO₂ Terrestrial Atmospheres. Antígona Segura, Victoria S. Meadows, James Kasting, Martin Cohen y David Crisp. Bioastronomy 2007. San Juan, Puerto Rico. July 2007. Oral presentation.

• Detección de planetas habitables alrededor de otras estrellas. Antígona Segura. IV Reunión de la Sociedad Mexicana de Astrobiología (SOMA). Museo de las Ciencias, Universum, UNAM. México, D.F. Abril, 2007. Presentación oral.

• ¿Cómo ser astrobiólogo? Antígona Segura. IV Reunión de la Sociedad Mexicana de Astrobiología (SOMA). Museo de las Ciencias, Universum, UNAM. México, D.F. Abril, 2007. Poster.

• Photochemical effects on Terrestrial Planet Atmospheres. Antígona Segura. International TPF/Darwin workshop. Pasadena, California, USA. November, 2006. Invited talk. Slides available here.

• Effects of Stellar Flares on the Atmospheres of Oxygen-rich Habitable Planets. Antígona Segura, J. Scalo, M. Cohen, J. Kasting, V. Meadows. 38th Annual Division of Planetary Sciences Meeting. Pasadena, California, USA. October, 2006. Poster.