Our Team
Brielle Shope
Owner & Editor-in-chief, Full CV
Brielle Shope is a fifth year graduate student at the University of Virginia, pursuing her PhD in astrochemistry. Her research in Rob Garrod’s group entails astrochemical modeling of star-forming regions. She is a recipient of the Virginia Space Grant Consortium Fellowship, and holds a Master’s degree in physics from Ball State University and a Bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Taylor University. Passionate about inspiring others as a representation of women in science, she hopes to impact young women’s tracks to inspire them to pursue professions in STEM fields. She has recognized two key issues in her field: the need to make scientific discoveries in astrochemistry more accessible to broader audiences and the lack of effective science communication. Motivated to bridge these gaps, Brielle launched The Astrochemistry Report. Through this initiative, she aims to popularize astrochemistry and inspire future generations. Her vision includes educational resources on astrochemistry tailored to all ages, ranging from children’s books to workshops and multimedia content. In her past time, you can find her playing the piano or enjoying time outside with her family and two german shepherds. Nowadays, you are most likely to find her spending her time coddling and loving on her one-year-old son.
Dr. Mélisse Bonfand
Editor, Full CV
Mélisse Bonfand is a postdoctoral fellow supported by the Virginia Initiative on Cosmic Origins (VICO) program, working in the Departments of Chemistry and Astronomy at the University of Virginia. Her research combines state-of-the-art radio telescopes and advanced numerical simulations to explore how organic molecules form in space, particularly within interstellar clouds where stars are born. Prior to her current role, Mélisse was a postdoctoral researcher at the Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de Bordeaux (France) until the summer of 2022. She holds a B.S. in Physics and an M.S. in Astrophysics from the Université Joseph Fourier in Grenoble, France. In 2019, she earned her Ph.D. jointly from the University of Bonn (Germany) and the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy. Passionate about sharing her love for science, Mélisse has actively participated in numerous outreach events, including astronomy festivals, public presentations, and stargazing nights in France, Germany, and the United States. She loves traveling and inspiring others to marvel at the wonders of the universe everywhere she goes.
Dr. Ryan Fortenberry
Consulting Editor, Full CV
Ryan C. Fortenberry is Associate Professor and Graduate Program Coordinator for the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry at the University of Mississippi. He was previously at Georgia Southern University for five years until 2018. Ryan earned a BS in Mathematics and a MS in Communication from Mississippi College; received a Ph.D. at Virginia Tech in Theoretical Chemistry; and was a NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellow at the NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California. Ryan was recently the Chair & Past-Chair of the ACS Astrochemistry Subdivision and was previously the University of Mississippi Campus Affiliate for the Mississippi Space Grant Consortium. Ryan has nearly 200 peer-reviewed scientific publications, received several research grants, was selected as the Virginia Tech College of Science 2019-2020 Outstanding Recent Alumni Awardee along with the Mississippi College Department of Communication Alumnus of the year in 2021, has been published in Scientific American, and is the author of Complete Science Communication, a text on how to write and talk about science both to expert and non-expert audiences alike. Ryan enjoys the outdoors, travel, and time with family. He has dreams of climbing the 50 state high points.
We are looking to add to our team!