Clarence Bostic

Clarence E. Bostic

Program Specialist - NASA Headquarters

Education

Northwest High School Wichita, KS

Clark Atlanta University

Biology

Oklahoma State University

Natural and Applied Science

Clarence Bostic is part of NASA's Science Activation Program (SciAct). SciAct has projects and NASA teams across the U.S. that are helping learners of all ages do science!

What first sparked your interest in science, technology, engineering, and/or math?

My dad was a former science teacher, turned elementary principal, pheasant hunter, and naturalist that taught my siblings and me to love science and the outdoors. This led to many discussions about nature and biology growing up in Kansas.

What Science Activation project(s) are you affiliated with?

SciAct is a cooperative network of 33 competitively-selected teams from across the Nation will work with NASA infrastructure teams to connect NASA science experts, real content, and experiences with community leaders to do science in ways that activate minds and promote deeper understanding of our world and beyond. The program is informed by a 2019 assessment from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.

Tell us about your job. What do you do?

I am a new program specialist for the science activation group. I look forward to working across the program in several capacities over time.

What's one piece of advice you would give to someone interested in learning more about science?

Don't be afraid to ask, read, learn, and fail forward. Then get up and do it again.

Share a math experience and how it has impacted you.

I am not a math person and learned to avoid it. Then I met my wife and it is something she loves. She taught our kids to love it. Now I don't hate it.

What is your favorite science image or visualization, and why?

Former NASA Administrator Charles Bolden with kids from High school students United with NASA to Create Hardware (HUNCH) at NASA’s Langley Research Center (LaRC). Bolden, who also is a retired U.S. Marine Corps general, has a great story to share with kids.

Former_NASA_Administrator_Charles_Bolden_is_taking_a_selfie_with_a_dozen_students_in_a_high_school_lab__
Former NASA Administrator with high school students in Virginia.
NASA

Who inspires you?

My family.

What are some fun facts about yourself?

I am a married dad of two. My daughter is a STEM major at Howard University and my son is a senior in high school.

We have lived all over the country in various roles for NASA. I have worked at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC, Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama, and NASA's Langley Reserach Center in Virginia. This is my third time moving to the Washington DC area!

We also lived in Japan for two years where I worked as a middle school science teacher supporting a Naval base.