Read the August 2023 issue of Justin Chapman's free Substack email newsletter, featuring a UPI story from 1995 about his nomination as Best Young Actor in the Hollywood Reporter's Young Star Awards for his starring role in "Problem Child 3," an interview with JPL director Dr. Laurie Leshin on the TV show "Pasadena Monthly," stories to keep an eye on, book recommendations, and more!
Justin Chapman writes, produces, and hosts a monthly TV talk show on Pasadena Media's TV channel, called "Pasadena Monthly with Justin Chapman," formerly known as "NewsRap Local with Justin Chapman." The eighth episode aired Friday, August 25, 2023, and featured a discussion with Dr. Laurie Leshin, the first female director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
Pasadena Media’s award-nominated local TV talk show, “Pasadena Monthly with Justin Chapman,” formerly known as the award-winning “NewsRap Local with Justin Chapman,” continues this Friday at 5 p.m. PT on Pasadena Media’s cable TV channels and streaming apps. The episode will feature a discussion with Dr. Laurie Leshin, the first female director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
Dr. Leshin has served as director of JPL since May 2022. She is a distinguished geochemist and space scientist with extensive leadership experience in academia and government, including senior NASA positions. She was president of Worcester Polytechnic Institute from 2014 to 2022 and previously served as Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute School of Science dean. At NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center from 2005 to 2008, she served as director of science, then deputy director for science and technology, leading strategy, planning, and implementation of more than 50 Earth and space flight projects. In 2010, she became deputy associate administrator of the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters, overseeing future human spaceflight.
Her numerous honors include NASA’s Outstanding Leadership Medal and Distinguished Public Service Medal, and the Meteoritical Society’s Nier Prize for outstanding research by a scientist under the age of 35. The International Astronomical Union named asteroid 4922 Leshin to honor her planetary science contributions. She advised President George W. Bush on space policy, and Barack Obama appointed her to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum advisory board. Dr. Leshin holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Arizona State University, and master’s and doctoral degrees in geochemistry from Caltech.
She serves as Vice President at Caltech, which manages JPL for NASA. She is also a Bren Professor of Geochemistry and Planetary Science at Caltech and a co-investigator for two instruments on NASA's Mars Curiosity rover.
“Pasadena Monthly” airs at 5 p.m. PT on the fourth Friday of every month on Pasadena Media’s Arroyo Channel and streaming apps, available on channel 99 on AT&T U-verse, channel 32 on Charter Spectrum, YouTube, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and Roku. The show is written, hosted and produced by Chapman, directed and edited by Jeffrey Stanfill and executive produced by George Falardeau, CEO and executive director of Pasadena Media.
“This is must-watch television each month for everyone who cares about this city,” Falardeau said.
Earlier this year, Chapman won two 1st place journalism awards from the Los Angeles Press Club, as well as a 3rd place award and two finalist positions. He has won a total of nine awards from the LA Press Club in recent years. Last year, the previous iteration of the show, “NewsRap Local,” won a 2nd place award in News Programming at the Alliance for Community Media West’s WAVE video awards.
Guests on “Pasadena Monthly” and “NewsRap Local” have included Congress member Judy Chu (D-27); Congress member Adam Schiff (D-28); Assembly member Chris Holden (D-41); Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo; Pasadena city manager Miguel Márquez; LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger; and many others.
Chapman was the youngest elected official in LA County when he served on the Altadena Town Council at age 19. He has served on a number of local boards and wrote hundreds of articles for two dozen print and digital publications, including KPCC/LAist, Alta Journal, Huffington Post, LA Weekly, Irish Post, Berkeley Political Review, Pasadena Weekly, Pasadena Star-News, Pasadena Now and many others. He currently serves as the District 6 Council Liaison/Field Representative to Pasadena City Councilmember Steve Madison.
Learn more at justindouglaschapman.com and pasadenamedia.org.