Richard Turco-A trip to Bear Valley Springs

June 18, 2017 By 1 Comment

  I am deeply honored to present a talk this coming Saturday at Bear Valley Springs, a wonderful retirement community where my UCLA Ph. D advisor, Professor Richard Turco, and his lovely wife, Linda Turco, now reside. Thank you Rich for inviting me! You are simply one of the dearest and kindest human beings I have ever met and worked with. The world needs more people like you to teach, inspire and lead the way. Rich has an uncanny resemblance to Kirk Douglas. At my Ph. D ceremony in 1994 my father  thought he was the legend himself.  To me, however, Rich is a true steward of the Earth and a legend beyond reproach. Scientist to lecture on her escape from Iran Fun facts about Rich (photo caption): Scientist Richard Turco and Carl Sagan were on the scientific team that devised the concept of nuclear winter. In the photo … [Read more...]

My Story: From Iran to NASA and Beyond

May 10, 2017 By 1 Comment

It's an honor to present my book, The Sky Detective, at my alma mater on May 19 ( Room 365, Humanities Building). First time to give a talk in the Humanities Department of a major university. I hope the trend continues!   … [Read more...]

The Huffington Post: The Sky Detective

February 28, 2017 By Leave a Comment

Read the article in Huffington Post about my book: The Sky Detective. The article. … [Read more...]

Return to NASA

May 25, 2016 By Leave a Comment

  Yesterday, I presented a talk at NASA in celebration of the Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. The topics covered ranged from showing a hula dance, performed by the Nixon Elementary kindergarten class, to the escape route that my brother, Sean Taba, and I took to get smuggled out of Iran in 1982. I was re-invited by the Asian-American advisory committee at NASA because our story of escaping a dictatorship and finding success in America is one that is shared among many nations. … [Read more...]

Book Talk at NASA, Fire Alert, and More…

March 17, 2016 By Leave a Comment

Book Talk at NASA on March 15 organized by Women's Influence Network (WIN). It was a wonderful event and over hundred people showed up. However, I didn't get a chance to finish my talk. Why? I had a slide up about the Cinema Rex fire/arson on August 19, 1978 in Abadan, Iran that claimed many lives--an event that many historians believe was the key that triggered the 1979 Iranian revolution. As I was discussing the event a lady rushed up to the stage, grabbed the microphone and said, "Smoke is coming out of the control room. Please leave the auditorium immediately." I am going back to NASA to finish my talk, hopefully soon. Stay tuned! … [Read more...]

March 8, 1979: Anti-Veiling Protest in Iran

March 11, 2016 By Leave a Comment

  https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/march-8-1979-anti-veiling-protest-iran-azadeh-tabazadeh A travel down the memory lane! I was fourteen years old at the time of this protest, which I attended with my mother, Azar, and a group of her friends. Despite Ayatollah Khomeini's promise that he will be a religious leader, two weeks after his arrival in Tehran on February 1, 1979, he began preaching Shariat, mandating all women to wear the veil. Over 100,000 men and women took to the streets of Tehran to protest against veiling on March 8, 1979--International Women's Day. Initially, the Ayatollah backed off, but sadly within a year veiling became mandatory. Below, I share an excerpt from my memoir--The Sky Detective: How I fled Iran and Became a NASA Scientist--recalling the events of March 8, 1979. This excerpt is from the "Revolution … [Read more...]

THE SKY DETECTIVE – A BOOK CLUB PICK IN THE EAST BAY

February 4, 2016 By 2 Comments

A BOOK CLUB gathering at Sandra's beautiful home in Castro Valley on 2/3/16. Thank you SO much Carol for selecting my book, Sandra for hosting, and to you all for reading "The Sky Detective" and sharing your thoughts with me. Almost everyone requested that I tell the story of my journey once we landed at the LAX airport in July 1982 with nothing other than a 6-month student visa, which is where the narrative ends in "The Sky Detective." Write to me if you are of the same opinion! … [Read more...]

Kirkus names “The Sky Detective” as one of the best books of 2015

January 7, 2016 By Leave a Comment

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/goodreads-giveaway-copies-sky-detective-azadeh-tabazadeh?trk=pulse_spock-articles Read the Kirkus Review at: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/azadeh-tabazadeh/sky-detective/ Enter the Goodreads Giveaway Contest to win a free softcover copy of The Sky Detective: A memoir of how I fled Iran and became a NASA Scientist. https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/enter_choose_address/167690-the-sky-detective-a-memoir Naturally, I am super-excited and wanted to share the news with colleagues, followers and friends. I hope my personal story touches the hearts and minds of those who may wonder about who we (Iranian-Americans) are and what values we stand for. Azadeh Tabazadeh … [Read more...]

Discriminatory Visa Wavier Bill Targets Iranian-Americans

December 11, 2015 By 1 Comment

Written by Azadeh Tabazadeh https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/proposed-visa-wavier-bill-h-r-158-discriminate-other-marked-azadeh?trk=pulse_spock-articles The proposed Visa Wavier Bill (H. R. 158) will discriminate against Iranian-Americans and other “marked” dual-nationals The photo shown depicts a protest in 1979 where a group of Americans were demanding that all Iranians should be deported because of the extreme acts of the newly established government of Iran—more specifically the “Islamic Republic of Iran.” The events that triggered hatred toward Iranians were the seizing of the American embassy in Tehran and taking 52 U.S. diplomats and citizens hostage for 444 days. Is it fair or reasonable to punish the citizens of an entire nation for the extreme actions of their irrational governments or extremist groups who … [Read more...]

Booklist assigns a starred rating to “The sky Detective.”

December 2, 2015 By Leave a Comment

The 1979 Iranian Revolution http://www.booklistonline.com/The-Sky-Detective-Azadeh-Tabazadeh/pid=7872413 An award-winning atmospheric scientist recounts her coming-of-age against the backdrop of the Iranian revolution in this engaging, deeply perceptive memoir. Growing up in 1970s Tehran, Tabazadeh was only eight when two unrelated life events made a lasting impact on her: first, Uncle Mahmood gave her a chemistry kit, sparking her lifelong love of science. Shortly thereafter, 11-year-old Najmieh, a village girl from northern Iran, moved in as household help. Their friendship deeply shaped Tabazadeh’s awareness of class and gender differences, eventually ending when Najmieh was shipped back to her village to be married, and Tabazadeh found herself swept up in the tidal forces of the Iranian revolution. The author recounts her … [Read more...]

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