Education: Bachelor of Science in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Graduate Certificate in Earth Data Analytics
Location: Boulder, Colorado, USA
Contact: livian.vondran@bmsis.org
Links: LinkedIn
Advisor(s): Dr. Graham Lau
As an entomologist interested in applying their field to the space industry, Livian has two primary research interests: lepidopterology—in particular, moths—and astrobiology. Broadly speaking, he is interested in analyzing the applications of entomology to astrobiology, space biology, space ecology, and space exploration.
Livian did not settle on becoming an "astroentomologist" until late 2024, but their education has contributed to this goal. In May 2023, he graduated from the University of South Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Biology—specifically, in the ecology and evolution concentration. In July 2026, he graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder with a Professional Graduate Certificate in Earth Data Analytics. For their capstone project in this certificate program, they used the programming language Python to simulate carbon and nitrogen cycles for The Spring Institute for Forests on the Moon’s PLANT-B CubeSat Terrarium Mission. As a stepping stone toward doctoral studies in astroentomology, Livian is seeking to complete a master’s thesis on one of two topics: an analysis of the role moths play in nutrient cycling within bioregenerative life support systems, or an inquiry into the use of biomimetic engineering to apply heteroceran celestial navigation mechanisms to space navigation technology.
Outside of his contributions to the PLANT-B mission, they served on the Ecosystem Team for The Spring Institute's Project REVIVE——a payload carrying prairie flower seeds and a message for future readers that was launched into space aboard Tumbleweed’s Pod Alpha module on July 7th, 2026. During this project, they applied their ecology knowledge to develop informative materials educating others about the ecological aspects of this biological space payload. Livian gained additional space research experience through the Young Scientist Program; in it, he interned under Dr. Graham Lau, focusing on using artificial intelligence to improve science communication in entomology. As a Visiting Scholar, he is developing "The Astroentomology Archive" article series to examine research overlaps between entomology and the space industry.
As an avid learner, Livian perpetually seeks new experiences and opportunities to expand his knowledge base. Additional topics he enjoys researching include planetary science, astronomy, forestry, bioastronautics, meteorology, remote sensing, forensics, and science communication.