Cara Santa Maria facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cara Santa Maria
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At New York ComicCon in 2018
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Cara Louise Santa Maria
October 19, 1983 Plano, Texas, U.S.
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| Occupation | Science communicator, producer, journalist, podcaster, television host, neuroscientist |
Cara Louise Santa Maria (born October 19, 1983) is an American science communicator. This means she helps explain science to everyone in a fun and easy-to-understand way. She hosts a popular podcast called Talk Nerdy. She also co-hosts The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe podcast. Cara was also a co-host on the TV show TechKnow on Al Jazeera America.
Cara Santa Maria started writing for The Huffington Post in 2010. She became their first science correspondent. She also hosted a web series called Talk Nerdy to Me. Later, she co-hosted Take Part Live on Pivot TV. She has also appeared on TV shows like Brain Games.
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Early Life and Learning
Cara Santa Maria was born and grew up in Plano, Texas. She is the younger of two daughters. When she was very young, she loved dinosaurs and wanted to be a paleontologist.
She first studied psychology in college. In 2004, she earned a degree in psychology from the University of North Texas. She then continued her studies there. In 2007, she earned a master's degree in biological science, focusing on neuroscience. Neuroscience is the study of the brain and nervous system.
Cara also taught biology and psychology to college and high school students. She did research on different science topics. She later decided to focus on sharing science with more people.
In an interview, Cara explained how she became interested in science:
When I was really young, I was obsessed with dinosaurs. I wanted to dig up dinosaur bones in my backyard. As a kindergartner, I was sure I would grow up to be a paleontologist. Later, in college, I got really into psychology. I realized how amazing the brain is and how it affects our behavior. So, I decided to study neuroscience for my master's degree.
Her Career in Science
In 2009, Cara Santa Maria moved to Los Angeles. She wanted to start a career in science communication. She had worked in schools before this. She helped create and host a TV pilot called Talk Nerdy to Me.
Cara has appeared on many TV shows. These include Larry King Live, Geraldo at Large, and The Young Turks. She also co-hosted Hacking the Planet and The Truth About Twisters on The Weather Channel. She was also a host for TechKnow on Al Jazeera America.
She often appears on popular online shows. These include Stan Lee's FanWars and Wil Wheaton's Tabletop. She has also been a guest on many podcasts. Some of these are The Nerdist Podcast and Star Talk.
Cara has been interviewed by well-known magazines and newspapers. These include Scientific American and The Times of London.
In March 2014, Cara started her own weekly podcast called Talk Nerdy. New episodes come out every Monday. She talks with guests who work in STEM fields. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. She also talks with people from new media and pop culture.
In July 2015, Cara joined The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe podcast as a regular member. She also became a correspondent for "Real Future" on Fusion. In 2017, she was a guest on the Netflix series Bill Nye Saves the World.
Awards She Has Won
Cara Santa Maria has received several awards for her work:
- 2014: Knight Innovation Give Forward Award. This award was given by Neil deGrasse Tyson. It recognized her efforts to make science clear for everyone.
- 2015: 67th Los Angeles Area Emmy Award for a special segment.
- 2016: 68th Los Angeles Area Emmy Award for an information series.
- 2016: 66th Annual Golden Mike Award.
- 2017: 69th Los Angeles Area Emmy Award for an information series.
Her Personal Life
Cara Santa Maria has spoken openly about her experiences with major depressive disorder. This is a type of depression. She has shared that she takes medicine daily to help manage it. She also said that psychotherapy has greatly improved her mental health.
See also
In Spanish: Cara Santa Maria para niños
