Breaking Barriers
Calandrelli says one of the most significant obstacles she has faced thus far in her career is working in male-dominated fields— one being Hollywood. Transitioning from a STEM background to Hollywood has been a challenging yet rewarding experience for her.
“ When I went to Hollywood— more specifically, science Hollywood— I thought they would be more progressive and open to a female being a scientist on TV,” Calandrelli says.“ That was not the case.”
In 2014, she became the host of“ Xploration Outer Space,” an educational show that aired on Saturday mornings. What she didn’ t know at the time was that her new role marked a major milestone: she became the first woman to solo host a national science show in the U. S.
“ I would love to say that 11 years later that glass ceiling has been shattered and we have dozens of female Bill Nyes hosting their own science shows on every network,” she says.“ Unfortunately, that’ s just not true.”
Only about 1 % of science shows are solo hosted by women, a figure Calandrelli points to as evidence of an industry slow to embrace change. She suggests part of the problem lies in outdated assumptions about audiences.
Photo by Emily Calandrelli.
“ I think the biggest challenge is convincing Hollywood that America is ready to see female scientists on TV,” she says.“ It’ s not just about proving that men will watch female scientists but recognizing there are many women and girls who love science and want to see themselves represented.”
Calandrelli says this barrier isn’ t unique to science programming— even in non-science television, people think women-led stories won’ t sell well. In addition to gender bias, Calandrelli also faces the challenge of working in an industry that often favors animation over live-action educational content.
“ Networks want to invest in cartoons when it comes to educational television,” she says.“ Cartoons lend themselves better to toys and intellectual property, but by doing so, you create a role model gap.”
While animated characters may teach basic STEM concepts, Calandrelli believes real-life role models are essential.
“ How many kids were inspired to pursue science because of Jimmy Neutron?” she asks.“ How many were inspired because of Bill Nye? There’ s something about a real engineer— someone who truly cares about this work— that changes what kids believe they’ re capable of.”
She also points out the financial motivations that make cartoons more attractive to networks.
Photo by Emily Calandrelli.
“ With cartoons, you don’ t need to give anyone a raise,” she says.“ If a show does well, it costs the same to produce season after season. You don’ t have a person saying,‘ Hey, I helped make this successful— I deserve to share in that.’”
Despite the challenges, Calandrelli remains committed to creating space for women in science media.
Meaningful Milestones
In November 2024, Calandrelli became the 100th woman in space, a monumental accomplishment years in the making.
Calandrelli credits all the women who came before her, saying the opportunity to achieve such a milestone was fought and won by them.
“ It was way harder for the first 50 women who fought for their place in this industry and paved the way for people like me to be able to simply fundraise to go to space,” she says.“ We’ ve all found a different path to get there, but the earlier women are the true pioneers who made it possible for the rest of us to be able to go.”
Originally, Calandrelli attempted to bargain with Blue Origin— the company that eventually hosted her space flight— to allow her to secure a seat before seeking fundraising to pay for it, on the promise that she would draw positive media attention surrounding the trip. However,
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