Dr. Moiya McTier is both a scientist (with a focus in astronomy and astrophysics) and a published author with deep expertise in folklore and storytelling. Dr. McTier has given hundreds of talks around the world on a wide range of topics, from the physics of water to global eclipse rituals. Her work sits at the intersection of science and storytelling, fact and fiction, complex concepts, and chaotic creativity.

Dr. McTier officially became a doctor of the universe in 2021 as the first Black woman to graduate from Columbia’s astronomy PhD program. Overall, she has four Ivy League degrees including a joint degree in astrophysics and folklore from Harvard University. And she can also be found co-hosting Fate & Fabled, a mythology show for PBS Digital studios, as well as hosting her own podcasts Exolore (about fictional world-building through a science lens) and Pale Blue Pod (about astronomy for people who are afraid of the cosmos). Her debut book THE MILKY WAY: An Autobiography of Our Galaxy was named one of Publishers Weekly’s best books of 2022.

In her explainer-in-chief role advising the Human Artistry Campaign, she helps educate policymakers and fellow creatives about the promise and the risks of AI, and the ways effective AI systems depend upon a robust and lasting human creative economy.

Dr. McTier’s mission is to help people understand the world around us better through science and is eager to do that across as many platforms as possible.