Dr. Harold C. Connolly Jr. » Podcast   /     Podcast Episode 24-Astronomy in Lebanon : An interview with Ronald-Louis Ballouz. Harold C. Connolly Jr. Podcast.

I sat down with Dr. Ron Ballouz, a post-doc working for the OSIRIS-REx mission at the University of Arizona. Ron has a fascinating story of how he got interested in science and his life of travel. Recorded 9 August 2019.

Coming to you from the SPOC (Science Processing and Operation Center) in the Drake Building of the University of Arizona, I sat down with Dr. Ron Ballouz to discuss his life of science and how he got to where he is today. Ron is a modeler of extraordinary talent and vision who maintains a level of rigor to all that he does without ever seemingly to become frazzled by any challenges that present themselves. He started off life being born in the Philippines but growing up in Lebanon. He discusses how his passion for science got started and was fostered. He also discusses how growing up in a family of parents from two different cultures influenced his life. Finally, he discusses how living in such vastly different cultures such as Lebanon, the US, and Japan also helped to shape his views of science and the world. It was a great pleasure to talk with Ron (or Ronald-Louis as I sometimes call him) and it is a privilege to work with him.