Sian Proctor


Sian Proctor is an American explorer, scientist, STEM communicator, and aspiring astronaut. She is a geology, sustainability and planetary science professor at South Mountain Community College. Proctor was the education outreach officer for the first Hawai’i Space Exploration Analog and Simulation Mission. HI-SEAS is a NASA funded analog habitat for human spaceflight to Mars. She has also appeared in three educational TV shows. She was on The Colony Season 2 which was aired on The Discovery Channel in 2010. She also appeared in the 2016 PBS series Genius By Stephen Hawking. She's in Episode 2: Are We Alone. She is currently featured on the science show Strange Evidence. On July 22, 2020, Dr Proctor was announced as one of the top-15 finalists of UAE Mars Shot contest.

Television appearances

''Strange Evidence'' (2017 - 2018)

Proctor appeared as the science demonstration expert on the Science Channel show Strange Evidence. The show brings together a team of experts who analyze video footage that seems to defy explanation. Proctor describes the phenomena and uses mockups to explain the science behind what is being seen.

''Genius by Stephen Hawking'' (2016)

Proctor appears in Episode 2: Are We Alone. During this episode she, along with two other individuals, are challenged to "think like a genius" and discover the science behind the search for extraterrestrial life.

''The STEM Journals'' (2012)

Proctor appears in two episodes of The STEM Journals Season 1. The STEM Journals is an educational show for kids interested in science, technology, engineering, and math and aired locally on Cox7 Arizona. She appears in the Physics of Flight and Rocks.

''The Colony'' (2010)

The Colony was a post-apocalyptic build show by the Discovery Channel. Proctor appears in Season 2 which consists of 10 episodes and was shot on location in New Orleans.

Exploration and education outreach

NOAA Teacher At Sea (2017)

Proctor was selected to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Teacher At Sea program in 2017. NOAA's Teacher at Sea Program was started in 1990 and provides teachers with hands-on, real-world research experience working at sea. For 3-weeks she will be conducting pollock research in Bering Sea on the fisheries vessel the Oscar Dyson and blogging about her experience for NOAA.

Astronomy in Chile Educator Ambassadors Program (ACEAP) (2016)

Proctor was selected as a 2016 ACEAP Ambassador. The ACEAP is a National Science Foundation program that sends K-16 formal and informal astronomy educators to US astronomy facilities in Chile. During the summer of 2016 she joined 8 other ambassadors as they visited Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, Gemini South Observatory, and the Atacama Large Millimeter-submillimeter Array. Proctor returned to San Pedro, Chile in 2017 to engage in STEM education outreach activities with the local high school and surrounding community.

PolarTREC (2014)

Proctor was selected as 2014 PolarTREC teacher. PolarTREC is a National Science Foundation funded program that connects teachers with scientists conducting research in the arctic and Antarctic regions. Sian spent a month in Barrow, Alaska learning Historical Ecology for Risk Management and investigating the impact of climate change on the coastline and community.

HI-SEAS (2013)

Proctor was the education outreach officer for the NASA funded Hawai’i Space Exploration Analog and Simulation mission. The purpose of HI-SEAS mission was to investigate food strategies for long duration space flight and missions to the Moon or Mars. During the 4-month simulation Proctor was hired by Discover Magazine as the photographer for Kate Greene's article Simulating Mars on Earth. She also filmed the Meals for Mars YouTube Series while in the Mars simulation.

2009 NASA Astronaut Selection

Proctor was a finalist for the 2009 NASA Astronaut Selection Process. She competed against over 3,500 applications to make the top 47. NASA selected 9 out of the 47 finalist, however, Proctor was not selected. She now gives inspirational presentations about almost becoming an astronaut.

Academic career