in Engineering Science and B.A. in the Honors Liberal Arts from the University of Texas at Austin. She earned her PhD in Applied Physics from Stanford University, specializing in Astrophysics. She has worked as an Astrophysicist at NASA Ames Research Center, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the University of Arizona, and Arizona State University. Since 2003 Dr. Cotera has worked on various NASA Hub
ble Space Telescope and Spitzer Space Telescope research projects as part of the SETI Institute, in collaboration with scientists from around the world. She is a graduate of the Emerge Arizona class of 2007, Leadership West Class of 2008, and joined the Emerge Arizona Board as Treasurer in 2012. She served on the Avondale Planning Commission from 2008-2013. She ran for the Arizona Legislature in both 2008 and 2010, narrowly losing to Republicans both times. She has used her campaign experience to help numerous school districts in her community win bond and override elections, participating in 11 school campaigns since 2008. She is running for the State Senate in Legislative District 19.
