It is with profound sadness that we remember our friend and colleague Patricia Bolan, Ph.D., who perished earlier this month doing the very things that she loved — scaling tall peaks and reaching for the stars.
We remember Patty as the generous, energetic spirit who left her mark in our Sacramento-Davis scientific research and science communication communities. Arriving at UC Davis in 2018, Patty soon got involved with the then-nascent Astronomy on Tap, Davis science café series, helping bring space and physics knowledge a little closer to earth, translated and explained for the everyday public.
One fun memory stands out: as the opening act to one AoT Davis event in 2019, Patty and another student dressed in identical gaudy, multicolored space-themed rompers, dribbling and passing a basketball among the audience to the Space Jam soundtrack, warming up the Sudwerks crowd before that evening’s public science talk. An unforgettable Patty moment for sure.
Patty carried that same daring energy to support broader scicomm pursuits in our region. Once upon a time in academia, it was frowned upon for graduate students to participate in public science outreach, often condemned by old-school faculty as wasted distractions from research and studies. Continuing today’s trend to buck those traditions, Patty also volunteered her time with Capital Science Communicators, serving on the CapSciComm leadership board as its Communications Officer from 2020-2021 and as Secretary in 2022.
Those were particularly difficult years — the global pandemic was unfolding and everyone was seeking a sense of humanity and connection while in isolation. Yet Patty and other CapSciComm volunteers persevered, hosting virtual movie parties, networking socials, and other ways to keep local professionals and students connected and engaged.
We will remember Patty’s smile and cheerfulness in all the time she gave to our community, whether it’s delighting locals with science café productions; encouraging other UC Davis students to try their hand at science outreach; pursuing her research on early galaxies from the Cosmic Dawn; or chasing after Northern California’s natural wonders.
Please join us in offering our sincere condolences and comfort to all who knew Patty and grieve her passing, especially her family and loved ones. We will miss you dearly, Patty — and may we carry on your unfinished work with the same verve and cheer you’ve always given and shared.
In loving memory,
Ben Young Landis
CapSciComm
Co-Founder
Becky Oskin
CapSciComm
Co-Founder
Nick Gray
CapSciComm
Past Executive Co-Chair
Allie Weill
CapSciComm
President
Victoria Strait
CapSciComm
Past Secretary
Pratik Gandhi
CapSciComm
Past Membership Officer
Daniel Erenstein
CapSciComm
Past President
Cory Warshaw
CapSciComm
Past Past President
Capital Science Communicators 