About Wyoming Stargazing

Who We Are

We make the Universe come alive!

Wyoming Stargazing is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in Jackson Wyoming that excels at making the often difficult to understand concepts of astronomy accessible to everyone. We offer public and private stargazing and astronomy programs as well as working with schools. You’ll leave our programs with a new understanding of the Universe and a sense of how you are connected to everything in the Cosmos. Don’t forget to look up!

Our Mission

The mission of Wyoming Stargazing is to inspire curiosity and learning through extraordinary skies and the Universe beyond.

We know that learning about astronomy has a “wow factor” that can inspire and motivate learners of all ages to explore their world. Astronomy can be a “gateway science” for lifelong curiosity, learning, and exploration of all areas of knowledge.

Wyoming Stargazing provides engaging, entertaining, and educational programs for the many millions of visitors who come through Jackson Hole every year as well as for local residents. We’re particularly interested in promoting nighttime family programming and in assisting our local school districts in promoting scientific literacy. We hope that we can light a spark for learners of all ages to heighten their interest in science and the amazing universe we inhabit.

Our Core Values

At Wyoming Stargazing we share a set of common values that guide everything we do. Whether it’s internal meetings, a stargazing program at night, solar astronomy program during the day, planetarium program, indoor astronomy presentation, or virtual astronomy program, we share our passion for:

Land & Sky Acknowledgment

We acknowledge that we are living, meeting, teaching, learning, and enjoying the night sky as colonizers in the unceded and occupied territory of the Eastern Shoshone, Shoshone-Bannock, Northern Arapaho, Cheyenne and many other indigenous peoples whose past, present and future generations steward these lands and skies. The current arrangement of the stars into constellations that are drawn from the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians, as well as from European colonizers in South America are but one of a myriad of arrangements of stars into constellations created by native peoples living in every corner of the globe. Their arrangements of stars into constellations told their own stories and are no less valid than the currently accepted astronomical constellations. We acknowledge the deep connection to this place including the skies above it established and passed on through innumerable generations living and carrying out their hopes, their dreams, and their lives on these lands and under these skies from which they were forcibly removed. Their stories of the skies predate ours and contain much wisdom. We offer respect to their elders’ past, present and future. We acknowledge the legacies of violence, displacement, migration and settlement that bring each of us together here in the present.

Anti-Discrimination Statement

Wyoming Stargazing does not discriminate on the basis of skin color, gender, sex, sexual orientation, religion, or nationality. We do our best to help everyone feel a sense of belonging. Wyoming Stargazing facilitites, vehicles and programs are open to everyone regardless of any of the above listed factors. We expect our staff, Board Members, and guests to adhere to the highest standards of civility and respect for everyone while involved with Wyoming Stargazing in any capacity.

Despite our best efforts to provide everyone access to our programs, we are acutely aware of how economic disadvantages and other disparities can prohibit students from accessing learning opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields. By promoting a sense of Belonging in STEM for everyone we hope to address that problem.

We welcome feedback on how the Wyoming Stargazing community can continue to become a safer space for everyone.

Samuel Singer

PhD Education

Founder and Executive Director

Samuel grew up exploring the high desert in Yerington, Nevada, which is where he first fell in love with the night sky. Study for a B.A. in Physics and Astronomy took him to Hampshire College in Amherst Massachusetts. Samuel built a couple Dobsonian telescopes and helped to establish a small observatory at Hampshire College as part of his bachelor’s degree. While at Hampshire, the deciduous forests of the east coast, led Samuel to discover his love for outdoor science education. He earned a Masters in Natural Science–Environment and Natural Resources by way of the Teton Science Schools and the University of Wyoming. Samuel built a second small observatory for the Teton Science Schools in Jackson Hole during his masters program. He has been recognized by NASA as a volunteer Solar System Ambassador, as well as by the IGES and NASA in their Top Stars program for an astronomy lesson plan he wrote. In 2013, Samuel completed his doctorate degree in Science Education from the University of Wyoming. His dissertation research focused on spirituality in outdoor environmental education. After wrapping up his dissertation he founded Wyoming Stargazing as a way to further his passion for helping others explore the Universe. On his time off, he enjoys meditation, backcountry skiing, yoga, and long distance running. Samuel currently lives in a yurt in Kelly Wyoming with his partner Becca, their two daughters Simone and Ariyeh, and two dogs Monte and Grover.

Samuel@WyomingStargazing.org

Karen Plucinski

PhD Ecology

Program Coordinator and Wildlife Tour Guide

Karen is a native New Englander whose childhood along the New Hampshire seacoast sparked a deep connection to the natural world. Early experiences hiking in the White Mountains with her family and tidepooling along the rugged Maine coast nurtured her lifelong love of biophilia.
She holds an undergraduate degree in Zoology from the University of New Hampshire, as well as graduate degrees in Zoology from the University of Montana and Wildlife Ecology from the University of Maine. Karen has taught extensively and served in academic administration, including her work with Project Dragonfly at Miami University (Ohio), a graduate program that emphasizes inquiry-based learning, community engagement, and nature immersion.
She is thrilled to return to the Jackson, Wyoming area—where she worked as a wildlife guide 30 years ago—an experience that helped ignite her passion for experiential education. Karen currently resides in Alpine, Wyoming, with her husband Mark and their dog Aldo. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, biking, and bird watching in the surrounding mountains and valleys.

karen@wyomingstargazing.org

Rachel Fischer

Rachel is from Savannah, GA and moved to Jackson at the beginning of the summer to stargaze in Wyoming’s beautiful night skies. She graduated from the University of Georgia with a bachelors in Astrophysics in the spring of 2022. She researched diffuse molecular clouds in the Milky Way as an undergraduate and is excited to continue pursuing her passion for Astrophysics here in Jackson with Wyoming Stargazing. When she isn’t out studying the night skies, Rachel also works as a bus driver for a whitewater rafting company. In her free time, she enjoys hiking and baking.

Nicole Riddle

Nicole is originally from Fort Worth, Texas. In May 2022, she graduated from Texas Christian University with a B.S., majoring in Astronomy & Physics and minoring in Mathematics and Sustainability. She was part of an astronomy research group for three out of her four years at TCU and presented research on detecting binary star systems at the American Astronomical Society meeting in January of 2021. Aside from her job as a stargazing leader, Nicole tutors high school and college students in math and physics. She is currently earning a Master’s degree in Space Operations from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Josh Cook

Josh originates from Olathe, Kansas. In 2015 he graduated from the University of Missouri – Kansas City with degrees in Physics and Astronomy where he went on to work with an international research group studying the evolution of galaxies across cosmic time. In 2018 he spent a year working at a remote observatory under the dark southern skies of NSW, Australia. Following his passion for science communication and for the outdoors, he came out to Jackson in 2019 to work with Wyoming Stargazing. When he’s not out leading programs, you can find him pouring the best lattes in town.

David “JR” Dalby

At a very young age, JR was interested in the sky. He has early childhood memories of the Apollo missions. Watching Neil Armstrong walking on the moon on TV started his interest in astronomy. His mom gave him his first Planisphere at the age of about 10. He spent countless nights looking at the stars and planets. He moved to Jackson in 2012 and became friends with Wyoming Stargazing. He started to volunteer at events, then lead public programs. Now, he leads private programs and shares his love of astronomy. His education is mostly self-taught though the voyage of discovery using a lot of resources including enrolling in Kahn Academy online Cosmology and Astronomy courses. JR looks forward to meeting you and enjoying the night sky.

Ben Nguyen

Ben is originally from Norristown, Pennsylvania. He got his B.A in Astrophysics with an Applied Mathematics minor at Franklin & Marshall College, a small private liberal arts college in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, home to the Amish. His undergraduate research primarily dealt with searching for pulsars in order to detect gravitational waves as part of the NANOGrav collaboration. He was fortunate enough to do research at places such as Jodrell Bank Centre in Manchester, UK and the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. Ben has recently gotten involved in informal education and outreach since moving out west and hasn’t looked back. He enjoys being in the outdoors, tickling the ivories and playing tennis in the community in his free time.

Sara Eberlin

Sara has spent the majority of her life in love with the stars and she is excited to get to share that passion with others through Wyoming Stargazing. She grew up in upstate New York and graduated with a B.S. in Astronomy-Physics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After completing her undergraduate degree, Sara moved to New Zealand and was lucky enough to work for 2 years as a stargazing guide in the Aoraki/Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, the largest dark sky reserve in the world (she is pictured above holding a freshly fallen meteorite found here). Sara is also chronic collector of hobbies. When she’s not stargazing, she enjoys doing things like sailing, making music and art, baking, brewing coffee, traveling, and spending quality time with her friends.

Manaswi Kondapally

Manaswi is originally from India and moved to Arizona for her undergraduate studies. She graduated from Arizona State University in the spring of 2025 with dual degrees in Astrophysics and Physics, along with a minor in Data Science. During her three years as an undergraduate researcher, she worked on projects ranging from the thermal emission and detectability of near-Earth asteroids to the study of high-redshift Gamma-Ray Bursts and their role in probing the early universe. Drawn by her love for science communication and the chance to share Wyoming’s incredible night skies, Manaswi joined Wyoming Stargazing to inspire others through astronomy. When she isn’t out stargazing, she enjoys painting, hiking, journaling, and reading. She also loves discovering new cafés and getting to know the local Jackson community.

Lily Larkins

Lily is originally from Newport Beach, California. She recently graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz with her Bachelors of Science in Astrophysics. During her years as an undergraduate researcher her first research project was on digitizing and analyzing lunar magnetic field data collected from the Lunokhod 2 rover. Her current research project involves interior structure modeling of molten rocky exoplanets and how their thermal changes affect planetary radii. Lily’s passion for astronomy and the outdoors naturally led her to Jackson, Wyoming, where the night skies and inspiring landscapes make it the perfect place to explore both. She’s thrilled to be part of the incredible team at Wyoming Stargazing, where she shares her love for the cosmos with others. When she’s not gazing at the stars or diving into planetary models, Lily enjoys hiking, reading, floating down Jackson’s many scenic rivers, and continuing work on her latest research publication.

Mark Chalberg

Mark originally hails from Austin, Texas. After falling in love with the Rocky mountains while backpacking at Philmont as a teenager, he spent the next fifteen years guiding and recreating between Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, Arizona, Montana, and Idaho. He is currently working on a Bachelors degree in Recreation and Outdoor Education with a minor in Environmental Studies from Western State Colorado University in Gunnison. Mark’s primary passion lies in learning new material and developing ways of teaching and interpreting it for his guests.

David (Mox) Moxam

MBA & M.S. in Physics

President, Board Member

David Moxam is a Co-founder of Malibu IQ, LLC and serves as its Chairman of the Board. He also serves as Senior Advisor and partner at Manti Holdings. David served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Authentix, Inc. until October 10, 2012. David is a successful entrepreneur with extensive experience in bringing advanced technologies to market. His expertise includes working in a senior executive capacity with a Fortune 500 Global leader and leading a small company through a period of dynamic growth as it established itself as a pioneer and a leader in a newly established industry. David leads a team of PhDs, engineers and industry experts who develop molecular and nanotechnology solutions which are utilized by 5 of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies. Prior to joining Authentix, David performed a technology turnaround at Goldman Sachs’ Starpoint for which he won a Goldman Sachs Technology TurnAround award in 2000. Prior to this, he spent a decade building EDS’ New York- based Global Financial Markets Group. David holds graduate degrees in Physics and Business Administration from Laurentian University in Canada.

Mike Adler

PhD Physics

Vice President, Board Member

Mike graduated from MIT in 1971 as a PhD in the area of solid state physics and worked at General Electric from 1971 until his retirement in 2000. Since retirement Mike has been active with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (the IEEE, the largest technical society in the world) including being its president in 2003. Mike recently combined his hobbies of astronomy and photography and is taking astro photographs using his 6″ and 20″ telescopes in Wyoming. Mike has been giving talks on a number of topics in astronomy, geology, and travel to groups in New York and Jackson.

Kathleen Glover

CPA

Treasurer, Board Member

Kathleen Glover and her husband, Mike, have lived full time in Jackson since 2015, after splitting their time for several years between the Washington, D.C. area and Wyoming. Kathleen is a CPA and formerly worked as a finance director for Martin Marietta (now Lockheed Martin) and at public accounting firms in D.C. and Albany, New York. She was previously active in a number of charitable, educational and community organizations in the Northern Virginia area, as well as coaching several sport and academic teams. Kathleen is enjoying retirement in the Jackson area, and is excited about sharing her interest in the Wyoming skies with the community and visitors.

Peta Roubin

Board Member

Peta Roubin has a background in health care and business, combining studies in both Nursing and Economics at Sydney University, Australia. Peta spent her career blending this background in the medical device industry, with her primary responsibilities developing and marketing medical products on a worldwide basis as well as in raising health care standards in some third world countries, including China and India. Peta has been involved in a range of nonprofit organizations, including homeless shelters, hospitals in New York City and in Jackson Hole. Her other interests include being involved in providing educational opportunities to all demographics in the Jackson Hole area, which is how she became connected with Wyoming Stargazing. She is an outstanding advocate of the science education programs we offer.

Scott Fossel, MBA

Board Member

Scott holds a MBA from Amos Tuck School – Dartmouth. He is a former banker and venture capitalist. He also beings extensive non-profit experience. His interests include: skiing, golf, bowhunting, fly fishing, and hiking.

David “JR” Dalby

Board Member

At a very young age, JR was interested in the sky. He has early childhood memories of the Apollo missions. Watching Neil Armstrong walking on the moon on TV started his interest in astronomy. His mom gave him his first Planisphere at the age of about 10. He spent countless nights looking at the stars and planets. He moved to Jackson in 2012 and became friends with Wyoming Stargazing. He started to volunteer at events, then lead public programs. Nowadays, he leads private programs as well as serves on the Board of Directors – in addition to being an Account Manager with Mountain Alarm in Jackson, WY.

Yolanda Vasquez Lira

Board Member

Yolanda is a passionate bi-cultural Latina who was born in Tlaxacala, Mexico and raised in Jackson, WY. She graduated Jackson Hole High School in 2015 and has since lived and worked in Jackson as a professional translator amidst making other contributions to the JH Community.

Jim Rooks, M.S. in Education

Board Member

Jim is a fifth generation native of Jackson Hole, who graduated from Jackson Hole High School in 1990 and the University of Wyoming in 1995. “Jimbo,” as most of his friends call him, went on to earn a master’s degree in education and serve as a teacher, principal and athletic coach for 25 years. Jim has been recognized as Citizen of the Month, Everyday Hero and Teacher of the Year, several times over! He also founded the local chapter of the high school “We the People” program, which regularly earned state championships and national final qualifications. As of June 2020, Jim is the new Director of Community Engagement, who will offer both programming and leadership for the Wonder Institute.