Trailblazer of the Week
Kathleen Hulguin
2 February 2024
In many ways, the simplest test of one’s own knowledge of a subject is to try to explain it to someone else. For Kathleen Hulguin, this was
the core creative challenge of her science communications internship with Lunar Trailblazer.
“The most challenging part of my role was familiarizing myself with the geologic research to integrate into my projects,” says Hulguin, a
former Pasadena City College (PCC) student and Trailblazer intern, now undergraduate student at the University of California Berkeley,
majoring in geology.
For her internship, Hulguin developed a field guide that maps where in California people can observe lunar-like rocks. Her lunar “passport” is
an opportunity to take an epic road trip to visit analog sites representative of some of the Moon’s major geological compositions. You could
start right here in Southern California’s San Gabriel Mountains and spot anorthosite, an igneous rock formed from slowly cooling, silica-rich
and iron- and magnesium-poor magma that is also abundant in the Moon’s pristine highlands. A more ambitious adventurer could drive 450 miles
north to Phantom Falls in Oroville to seek out the Lovejoy basalt, a volcanic rock whose dark complexion accounts for 26 percent of the Moon’s
near side. And for the most epic trip, a journey to Meteor Crater in Arizona to see one of Earth’s freshest examples of impact craters, which
pockmark all parts of the Moon’s surface.
“What I found most exciting about creating these specific media products was connecting the dots between the geological processes on the Earth
and the Moon,” she says. “They’re not as different as I thought!”
One of three siblings, Hulguin grew up in Glendale, California, and enlisted in the U.S. Army after graduating high school. Being stationed in
Colorado allowed her to visit local geologic formations like the Garden of the Gods which sparked her fascination with geology.
“I did not have any exposure to prominent geology like that beforehand, so I consider Colorado to be the place where I initially grew my
interest in the subject,” she says. “Serving in the military also taught me to navigate in male-dominated spaces as a woman of color, which is
helpful in the STEM field.”
Once back in California, Hulguin enrolled at PCC and opportunity came knocking.
“While in my Historical Geology class, my professor mentioned the Lunar Trailblazer internship,” recalls Hulguin. “I had just switched my
major to Geology and this felt like the perfect opportunity to explore my passion further.”
For Hulguin, following through on that passion has been the key to her success.
“There are so many ways to become involved in STEM that can expand on skills you already have and aid in developing new ones,” she says. “My
advice is to seek any opportunity that ignites even a bit of your interest. It may become your passion like it did for me!”
Hulguin is now taking that love for geology to a professional level, earning her BS in Geology at UC Berkeley, but still finds time for
playing women’s rugby and frequenting her local movie theatre. And she hopes the guide she produced for Trailblazer will continue to inspire
general audiences and aspiring planetary scientists, just as it did for her.
“I felt encouraged by my peers and mentors throughout my involvement in this mission and believe that this environment allowed me to grow as a
geologist,” says Hulguin. “Lunar Trailblazer is such an exciting mission and I’m eagerly waiting for its launch!”
View Kathleen's field guide on lunar-like rocks in California below.
Kathleen Hulguin was a Trailblazer Science Communications Intern from PCC, is now a Geology major at UC Berkeley, and is our Trailblazer
of the Week!
Trailblazer of the Week is an ongoing series showcasing the diversity of experience and expertise that supports the collective
determination of the Lunar Trailblazer mission.
By Emily Felder
Emily Felder is a Pasadena City College student and Caltech intern working on science
communication for the Lunar Trailblazer mission.