Stephanie Deppe

About Stephanie Deppe

I’m a planetary scientist, astronomer, educator, and science communicator (not necessarily in that order). My PhD research focused on discovering and characterizing new objects in the Solar System’s Kuiper Belt using the Dark Energy Survey—an astronomy survey optimized for studying distant galaxies that operated from 2012–2019.During graduate school, I discovered the joy and power of science communication. I’m a trained science communicator through programs like RELATE and ComSciCon, and I’ve given numerous public talks and published science writing, including as an Mass Media Fellow. I’m also a science communication trainer, having taught workshops that have reached hundreds of researchers.I’m currently the Astronomy Content Strategist for the NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory, developing and leading Rubin’s social media strategy, shaping the voice of Rubin’s online communications, and creating fun, accessible science content across platforms. I also lead projects that blend astronomy and the digital world, including the Rubin Voices feature series and the 3D Solar System visualization OrbitViewer, helping turn cutting-edge astronomy into experiences that people can connect with.

Experience

1. Astronomy Content Strategist

   Rubin Observatory

   Jan 2021 — Present

   Lead the strategy, planning, and execution of Rubin Observatory’s social media presence, defining how the observatory engages public audiences across platforms.Develop and manage social media campaigns aligned with observatory-wide communications goals, including momentum-building efforts for Rubin First Look and the start of Operations.Build, engage, and grow diverse online communities, with an emphasis on accessibility and meaningful public engagement.Set measurable goals for social media efforts and apply analytics to evaluate performance and continuously improve audience reach and impact.Shape the voice and tone of Rubin Observatory outreach communications on social media and create accessible, engaging science content across platforms.Lead the Rubin Voices feature series, including outreach to staff and scientists, interviews, writing, editing, and end-to-end workflow management.Lead development of OrbitViewer (orbitviewer.app), a 3D Solar System visualization tool highlighting Rubin discoveries of asteroids and comets; defined the product vision, collaborated with designers, managed external vendors, and ensured scientific accuracy.Develop and implement Rubin’s image alt text and written description strategy for public-facing content to improve accessibility.Author and edit website content for rubinobservatory.org and contribute to development of additional public-facing tools and visualizations (e.g, Skyviewer, skyviewer.app).

Education

• Michigan State University

  Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Physics, Minor in Music

  2010 — 2014

• University of Michigan

  Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Observational Astronomy

  2014 — 2019