Michael A. Capraro

Wayne State University

BS & MS Chemical Engineering

Michael is a retired chemical engineer.

I read about the work of Dr. Andrew Westphal at the University of California, Berkeley, on the Stardust@Home project and decided to get involved. Apparently, this made me a "NASA citizen scientist" by default, and I'm proud to be considered as such.

Aside from the Stardust project (searching for interstellar dust in images of the Stardust spacecraft aerogel collector), I've been heavily involved with "Stall Catchers," something of an offspring of Stardust@Home. The mission there is searching for stalls in blood flow through microcapillaries in mouse brains, in order to advance research into Alzheimer's Disease at Cornell University.

For a layperson to have the opportunity to help advance scientific knowledge and/or hasten a treatment or cure for debilitating illnesses, well, that's extraordinary. But thanks to citizen science, the extraordinary becomes more ordinary, yet still special.

I've participated in several other citizen science projects, most through Zooniverse. One of my favorites there was "Decoding the Civil War," especially decoding and transcribing a letter from General Grant. The personal and official correspondence from this and other time periods gives one a more intimate feel for our history.

I'm a retired chemical engineer, so no current "job" aside from groundskeeper and chief dishwasher for the domicile. I'm a competitive runner, volunteer tutor for math & science at an alternative high school and for GED students.

I also sing bass in a choir, teach 5th-grade religious formation, work with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, coordinate retiree luncheons.

I sometimes teach or sponsor adults preparing for sacraments of initiation, assist at Boy Scout STEM events, and other stuff.

What I'm best at though, seems to be tutoring and unskilled labor – and maybe the singing.

Progress can be highly dependent upon access to specialized scientific or analytical resources, funding, and competing for project priorities. Getting to know the people involved in various project aspects gives one a real feel for how diverse personalities and talents can really complement one another and contribute to more rapid advancement and successful outcomes.

Oh, almost forgot, Stardust@Home was my first real experience using an online forum. That really came in handy for subsequent endeavors.

Well, I thought when I retired, I'd have more time for citizen science. Of course, there were all these other "opportunities" in which to invest time as well – too many. So, let's say time management.

Absolutely do it. Make it happen. Current background and experience are largely irrelevant. Just get involved – the learning and experience build automatically.