Now working out of the International Space University in Strasbourg, France, Dr. Niamh Shaw is an academic and ‘space communicator’ who is o n a mission to see the Earth from space in order to share a totally new perspective of our planet and of ourselves . For this entertaining and award-winning speaker, space highlights the power of our own agency as humans, inviting us to see the world more holistically.  Shared with characteristic wit and warmth, her story inspires us to embrace change and not to be afraid of seeking opportunities to achieve a full and valuable life. 

Through her work with STEM, STEAM and mainstream audiences, Niamh has witnessed firsthand how understanding space better can awaken us to our interconnectedness and to the shared human endeavor at the heart of science: making life on this planet better, as a collective. When we understand our agency in the world, we gain hope and confidence that we can make a difference to the crisis on the planet. Recently consolidated by a qualification in Practical Science Communicating from Cambridge University, Niamh’s work firmly places the legacy of David Attenborough into ordinary people’s hands, inspiring them to take ownership of their part of the world and seek to change it for the better.

Niamh’s mission to get to space officially began In 2011, but her belief in the power of knowledge to help us feel connected is rooted in her youth. For Niamh, learning was her anchor, and space is where she found connection. As a hugely popular speaker she shares innovative approaches to problem solving, collaboration and the personal steps she has learned that allowed her to dream big, develop a bigger social responsibility and fulfil her life’s ambitions. 

Niamh has served as Co-Chair of Humanities at the International Space University ’s 2018 annual Space Studies Programme, and Core Lectures Associate Chair of this programme in 2017. She has interviewed/moderated and hosted a variety of science-themed events in Ireland and abroad. In late 2020 she was awarded a space on the prestigious Homeward Bound project, which is about climate change and women). They select 100 women every year, culminating in a trip to Antarctica (pandemic allowing). 

She has also returned to Irish national broadcaster RTE’s Home School Hub, and when travel restrictions ease she will head to Hawaii on an exciting Lunar analogue mission called Hi-SEAS.

Motivation – Making the impossible, possible
Niamh is on a personal quest to get to space and to share a unique perspective of Earth from space. An engineer, scientist, writer and performer, she shares her passion for space in a unique and accessible way. But more importantly, she shows us that if we have a vision and a just cause, anything is possible. In this talk, she inspires others to seek the freedom that comes from changing your mindset from finite and short-term to infinite and for the greater good of mankind.

Women in Science – Thinking Big: How to share your story with impact and integrity
Niamh is an award-winning science communicator and a champion for women in STEM. With honours and master degrees in Engineering and a PhD in Science, she’s also an experienced writer and performer whose first book, Dream Big (Mercier Press), was published in 2019. There is no better person who understands how to craft a story from science and connect with audiences.

Niamh provides bespoke workshops on effective communication, public speaking and talks about a new approach in attracting women into science and STEM careers.

Sustainability 

Sustainable at Home

We’ve all seen Greta Thunberg and David Attenborough’s urgent appeal for us to save our planet. Our hearts ached when we see animals affected by our life choices, the melting icecaps, the rising sea levels and increasing CO2 levels . And we all felt a sense of guilt and responsibility to do something about it. But what is that? How can my personal actions impact a problem as enormous as climate change. Where do you even start? What even is climate change?

This talk makes the topic of climate change relevant to the individual, which explains how nature seeks balance and how climate change has forced the planet to be out of balance. The audience will learn how to be more sustainable at home, and the impact that we can make on the ground in solving the bigger issue of climate change.

Niamh spent 15 days living as if on Mars as part of a simulated mission in the Utah desert, and it completely changed her relationship with the planet and her life choices. She’s taken it to the extreme, living minimally so that she can continue to learn more about living sustainably. Using the unique perspective of space, She wants to share her experiences with the general public to help break down barriers around climate change.

A new perspective: What Space can tell us about our planet

Niamh wants to share a unique perspective of our planet from space. In early 2017 she spent 15 days on a simulated Mars mission in the Utah desert which completely changed the way she lives on Earth. By being deprived of the resources we take for granted every day, she saw it as an opportunity to downsize, minimise and develop a better understanding of climate action in the community. Because surviving in space is hard, it reminds us just how lucky we are to have our beautiful Earth. It also shows us simpler and smarter sustainable solutions to living on Earth, that can be applied in the workplace and at home. Space exploration is not just about seeing what lies beyond, but also about understanding our planet better, taking better care of it and making better use of what we already have. Niamh can provide talks and bespoke workshops on Space for Sustainability and on  the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

What space has taught us about ourselves 

We’ve been exploring space for over 60 years now, and much has been learned about our neighbouring planets, the sun and galaxies in our universe. Now there’s talk of humans returning to the Moon, the first female footprint on the lunar surface, and further missions to Mars. Where are we headed, what’s it all for and why should we care? 

Niamh gives context to space exploration past, present and future and considers its huge impact on us as a species and on our planet.

STEM Education and Outreach for our younger citizens

Niamh regularly visits schools and communities to engage them in science and STEM through space topics. A regular contributor to Space Hub news for RTE’s Home School Hub and After School Hub, she worked with Blackrock Castle Observatory and the European Space Agency’s Education and Outreach Office (ESERO Ireland) to develop a Space badge of three unique suites of activities for the Irish Girl Guides. She is available to discuss bespoke workshops, talks and experiments.

Dr Niamh Shaw is an Irish space explorer, engineer and leadership keynote speaker who connects human spaceflight with the future of leadership, innovation and planetary responsibility.

Niamh’s work sits at the edge of Earth.

A trained engineer with a PhD in science, she reports on major space missions including Artemis and contributes to advanced human spaceflight programmes. Her mission is bold: to reach space as a science communicator and share that transformative perspective with the world.

Niamh’s perspective is grounded in lived exploration.

She has trained and worked in extreme environments — from analogue astronaut missions in Utah and the Kalahari Desert to Antarctica and the Arctic alongside scientists and artists exploring planetary change. She served as Crew 173 at the Mars Desert Research Station and became the first Irish person to complete a zero-gravity flight at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Moscow. She has reported from the Atacama Desert in Chile on the construction of the world’s Extremely Large Telescope.

She is Ireland’s first and only ESA Champion for Education and a Fellow of The Explorers Club .

With nearly two decades of experience in STEM communication, Niamh combines deep technical expertise with powerful storytelling.

She has spoken on multiple TEDx platforms and appeared at New Scientist Live and WIRED Live in the UK, as well as corporate, science and international conferences across Europe and beyond (e.g., Edinburgh Science Festival, Cheltenham Science Festival) . Her background in theatre makes her a natural on stage — warm, engaging, funny and deeply human.

She has interviewed leading NASA, ESA and CSA astronauts- including Chris Hadfield -writes for The Irish Times and has contributed to BBC Sky at Night . She has reported across RTÉ television and radio include Prime Time, BBC television and radio, Sky News and Newstalk Radio , and hosted Space Hub on RTÉ’s Home School Hub . She is Global Faculty at the International Space University and author of  Dream Big  (Mercier Press).

But her work goes beyond science.

Drawing on lived experience in isolation, uncertainty and high-performance environments, Niamh translates the mindset of space exploration into practical lessons for leadership and innovation. She challenges audiences to think in decades rather than quarters, to act with planetary awareness, and to reconsider their place in an interconnected world.

Recipient of the 2018 Outstanding Contribution to STEM Communications Award from Research Ireland (formerly Science Foundation Ireland), Niamh brings audiences to the frontier of exploration — and back again — equipping leaders with the long-term perspective of our future demands.

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