5. We Have to Include Everyone: Enabling Humanity to Reduce Existential Risk

Sheri Wells-Jensen is the 2023 Baruch S. Blumberg NASA/Library of Congress Chair in Astrobiology, Exploration, and Scientific Innovation and an Associate Professor in the Department of English at Bowling Green State University. A linguist with research interests in phonetics, braille, language creation, and disability studies, her early work on the potential for non-physically mediated language acquisition (by AI or other non-human beings) led to an ongoing interest in ethical issues related to space exploration, as well as disability issues in space travel. Her current research centres on increasing access for people with disabilities in space including participation on the leadership board of Mission: AstroAccess, a project that promotes disability inclusion in space. Sheri has presented at the Amazon Disability Month Presentation Series, the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies, the Institutions of Extraterrestrial Liberty Conference, the NASA Ames Research Center, and the Social and Conceptual Issues in Astrobiology conference. Her work has been published in the Journal of the British Interplanetary Society, Futures, Scientific American, the METI International Blog, and Rejoinder. She received a BA in psychology and sociology from Adrian College, an MA in Spanish and applied linguistics from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, and a PhD in linguistics from State University of New York, University of Buffalo.