Mitzi Adams joined the NASA workforce in March, 1988 as a graduate co-op student; she was made a permanent employee in January 1991, upon completion of the Master’s Degree.  Ms. Adams’ primary research work until approximately 2006, involved the use of ground-based data from Marshall Space Flight Center’s (MSFC) solar vector magnetograph.  With the launch of Hinode in 2006 and the Solar Dynamics Observatory in 2010, Ms. Adams switched from ground-based data to data acquired in space.  Primarily using data from those two missions, Ms. Adams has investigated questions of the origins and triggers of solar jets and flares.  Earlier in her career, Ms. Adams supported her Branch Chief, Dr. John Davis, with analysis of data from tests of a Solar X-ray Imager that launched in  2001 on the GOES-12 spacecraft.  Participating as a volunteer at the Fernbank Science Center in Atlanta, Ga. and the Von Braun  Astronomical Society in Huntsville, AL, Ms. Adams gained experience with education and outreach activities, which she has continued to develop throughout her career, most recently leading and participating in the 2023 annular and the 2024 total solar eclipses.   In 2020, Ms. Adams was named Assistant Manager for the Heliophysics and Planetary Branch of NASA/MSFC.

As the Superintendent of Alpine Independent School District, Dr. Michelle Rinehart is passionate about fostering excellence, belonging, and human flourishing for the district's 1,000 students and 200 employees. Dr. Rinehart is deeply committed to the School Board’s mission to provide our children with learning experiences to be responsible, productive, and successful citizens of an ever-changing world. Prior to joining Alpine ISD, Dr. Rinehart served as an assistant superintendent, regional educational consultant, and classroom teacher in West Texas school districts and service centers. Dr. Rinehart has also consulted with school districts across the United States on issues related to school finance, strategic planning, advocacy, community engagement, and curriculum and instruction. Dr. Rinehart holds bachelor’s degrees in math, physics, and education from Queen’s University, a master’s of education in curriculum and instruction from Texas A&M University, and a doctorate in educational leadership from Harvard University.

Dr. Rinehart has called the tri-county area home for the past 15 years. She lives in Alpine with her husband and their two young children, both of whom attend Alpine Elementary School.