Born and raised in Nebraska, I am an attorney and educator serving as the Director of Externships and the Executive Director of the Space, Cyber, and Telecommunications Law programs at the University of Nebraska College of Law. I formerly served as the Executive Director of the Nebraska Governance and Technology Center, an interdisciplinary research center combining law, engineering, business, and journalism. In addition to my student driven work at the University, I speak internationally on space law and representation in technology. I see myself as a passionate academic leader with a background in building connections across industries and facilitating practical and experiential learning.
At home in Lincoln, I serve as the board president for Girls Code Lincoln, a nonprofit organization striving to ignite passion for technology and leadership in 4th-9th grade students of underrepresented genders by hosting multi-week technology clubs and partnering with Nebraska organizations to build in-house curriculum to teach technology, leadership, and life skills. I also serve on the board of directors for the Branched Oak Observatory, an outdoor and indoor (open-roof) sky park supported by science education professionals and astronomy enthusiasts. The observatory’s goal is simple: to share the wonders of the night sky with Eastern Nebraska.I’m a Lincoln Public Schools volunteer and a Girl Scout Troop Co-Leader. I would almost always rather be outside and making art or building something with kids.
A goal I’m working towards is increasing diverse representation in technology and space industries. This means diverse genders and racial diversity – and also diverse disciplines. Art, design, and storytelling have a lot to offer the engineering and tech development process. There is a lot of work to do!
A couple of fun facts about me? I did a (very fun) comparative law lecture on Star Trek and real-world space law a few years ago for our library system that was uploaded to YouTube – then the public relations team at CBS found it on YouTube and invited me to the official Star Trek convention in Las Vegas! Some friends saw my posts about the convention and wanted in. Nine months after my initial “silly” lecture we were part of South by Southwest (SXSW) presenting a roundtable discussion on how science fiction in pop culture impacts real world decision making and policies. It was likely the biggest stage I’ll ever have as an academic and it was about Star Trek – which feels a little ridiculous – but really it was about the power of stories in our culture. The power of fiction, imagination, and creativity.
Interested in learning more about me and my work? I invite you to check out the following links:
Web: www.elsbethmagilton.com
Instagram: @onespaceymother
Center/Program Twitter:
@UNL_NGTC
@spacecyberlaw
https://ngtc.unl.edu/
https://law.unl.edu/spacecyberlaw/
www.girlscodelincoln.org