About the Author

Sarafina El-Badry Nance

Sarafina El-Badry Nance is a PhD student and astrophysicist at UC Berkeley. Somehow in the middle of her research, advocacy, and media work, she has found the time to write a book, Starstruck: A Memoir of Astrophysics and Finding Light in the Dark, about her journey and experiences thus far.

Between short lessons at the beginning of every chapter on different aspects of stars, planets and the cosmos, she recounts her experiences of overcoming prejudice, abuse, and her own self-doubt to become the scientist she is today. As she is still quite young, this reads as a coming-of-age memoir rather than a reflective autobiography, focusing quite heavily on her formative years.

Nance’s journey begins with vivid childhood memories, both fondly remembered (like stargazing with her father) and traumatic (like confrontations with her mother). Growing up in Texas as an Egyptian-American, she was caught between the beauty of nature and the stars around her, and the daily struggles of racism and misogyny, anxiety, and a difficult family situation, as she worked towards her dream of becoming an astrophysicist. These challenges follow her as she grows up and progresses in her education.