Science communicator, writer, and television host Emily Calandrelli was born May 18, 1987, in Morgantown.

Growing up, Calandrelli, by her own account, did not consider herself an outstanding student, especially in comparison to several higher-achieving classmates. After graduating high school and enrolling at West Virginia University, she majored in engineering primarily because of the field’s lucrative career prospects. However, she soon developed a passion for it, leading to many accolades and opportunities. While still a student, she was named a Goldwater Scholar and was a member of USA Today’s All-USA College Academic First Team. She cofounded WVU’s Student Partnership for the Advancement of Cosmic Exploration, and interned at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio and at the NASA Academy in California. As a recipient of the Harry S. Truman Scholarship, she worked for a summer in Washington, D.C., for Congressman Alan Mollohan. During her senior year, in 2009, Callandrelli was named Ms. Mountaineer.

Upon graduating with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering, Calandrelli enrolled in graduate school at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). There she earned two master’s degrees, the first in aeronautics and astronautics and the second in technology and policy.

After graduating from MIT, Calandrelli began hosting a syndicated children’s science show, Xploration Outer Space. The producers sought her out after seeing some of the YouTube STEM-related videos she had made at WVU. Xploration Outer Space premiered in 2014 on Fox. As host and producer, she has highlighted a number of West Virginia locales throughout the show’s run, including the National Radio Astronomy Observatory at Green Bank. In 2017, Calandrelli joined the Netflix series Bill Nye Saves the World as a science correspondent. In 2020, she hosted her own Netflix series, Emily’s Wonder Lab.

Calandrelli has written several children’s books about science and technology. Her chapter book series, the Ada Lace Adventures, follows a West Virginia girl who uses science, math, and technology to solve mysteries. Calandrelli frequently speaks at schools across the country. In 2021, she teamed with West Virginia Public Broadcasting and the West Virginia Department of Education to produce a program highlighting women in the state working in aviation: The Future Is You!

In November 2024, she became the 100^th woman in history to venture into space, aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard space tourism vehicle. The flight lasted approximately 10 minutes. The Charleston Gazette-Mail named her West Virginian of the Year for 2024.