Meet The Maine Ph.D. Making Waves In Space Research

Folks talk about setting their sights high after graduation. For Morgan Stosic, a recent graduate of the University of Maine, high meant all the way up...to space and beyond.

Stosic grew up in Nevada and went to Oregon State University, where she earned her bachelor's degree. She came to the University of Maine and graduated with her Ph.D. in Psychology just a few years ago. Stosic has a deep interest and passion in learning about what makes people tick, specifically when it comes to their behavior.

Morgan Stosic, Forbes 30 Under 30, University of Maine via Facebook

According to the online site, KBR, while working as a doctoral student in Maine, Stosic came across an opportunity to participate in grant research work for NASA, with the current director of the Fatigue Countermeasures Lab, Dr. Erin Flynn-Evans.

In 2025, she joined NASA's science team and is currently researching communication concepts that will aid astronauts heading to Mars.

"As a lead scientist supporting NASA’s Johnson Space Center’s Behavioral Health and Performance Laboratory, Morgan leverages behavioral science to advance how human performance in space is monitored and optimized. This includes analyzing astronauts’ nonverbal cues, facial expressions, vocal cues and body movements to detect real-time indicators of fatigue, cognition and cohesion with team members. Her primary focus in extravehicular activity research, which is being applied to developing the next-generation spacesuits that will be worn by astronauts exploring the moon."

If that sounds impressive, it is. And because of the amazing work Stosic is doing, Dr. Mollie Rubin, with whom she studied at UMaine, nominated her as a candidate for the prestigious "Forbes 30 Under 30 List," a list that the publication has released yearly since 2011. This list, published in Forbes Magazine, highlights and celebrates young individuals who have excelled at the top of their fields in different categories, such as sports, media, education, music, science, and so on.

Stosic made this year's list, according to the University of Maine, which announced the news via social media on Wednesday afternoon.

"Morgan Stosic, who earned her Ph.D. in psychology from UMaine in 2023, is now a research scientist at NASA Johnson Space Center. Her work in behavioral psychology is helping improve human performance in space and shaping the next generation of spacesuits for future missions to the Moon... She was also the Outstanding Graduate Student in the College of Liberal Arts of Sciences for that year, and was named to the Forbes list in the Transportation and Aerospace category."

University of Maine officials published an interview with Stosic, asking her what drew her to Maine for her Ph.D. studies.
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"I initially became interested in attending the University of Maine for my graduate studies due to the research portfolio of then-professor Dr. Mollie Ruben, who I believed would be a good match to the kinds of topics I was hoping to study. When I visited UMaine for my interview, I was impressed with the heart of the community and supportive spirit of the graduate students already enrolled in the program, which matched the values of what I was looking for in a Ph.D. program."