AUSTIN, Texas — Famous YouTuber and Emmy-nominated science television host Emily Calandrelli, known to her online fans as “The Space Gal,” will be one of the keynote speakers at SXSW EDU in 2025.

What You Need To Know

  • Calandrelli is an MIT School of Engineering master’s graduate and was a correspondent on the Netflix show “Bill Nye Saves the World.” She also hosted another Netflix show called “Emily’s Wonder Lab"

  • Calandrelli has also written multiple children’s books about science and astronomy and was officially the 100th woman in space when she was a passenger on Blue Origin’s NS-28 mission on Nov. 22, 2024

  • “The Space Gal” TikTok account, where Calandrelli advocates for women in STEM fields, has over 1.4 million followers and 41.9 million likes

  • The SXSW featured session where Calandrelli will speak is called Screening Bias: Breaking Down Barriers for Women in STEM on TV

Calandrelli is an MIT School of Engineering master’s graduate and was a correspondent on the Netflix show “Bill Nye Saves the World.” She also hosted another Netflix show called “Emily’s Wonder Lab,” and back in 2014, she hosted Fox’s “Xploration Station” educational block. 

Calandrelli has also written multiple children’s books about science and astronomy and was officially the 100th woman in space when she was a passenger on Blue Origin’s NS-28 mission on Nov. 22, 2024. 

“The Space Gal” TikTok account, where Calandrelli advocates for women in STEM fields, has over 1.4 million followers and 41.9 million likes. 

Calandrelli posted multiple videos of her heartfelt and emotional reaction to going up into space and discussed some of the inappropriate comments she got.

In a TikTok post, Calandrelli said that within 24 hours of a video being posted, there were “hoards of men” sexualizing her reaction to seeing Earth from space, “So much so, that the video is taken down across all platforms.”

“Because being a woman achieving something monumental means expecting men to try to humiliate her. To try to belittle her. To objectify her,” the post said. “But I refuse to be embarrassed for my wonderment and joy. I love that I am someone who feels experiences with her whole soul. What a beautiful way to experience life.”

Calandrelli went on to post the video on her own platforms and said, “we do not dull our light for those who can’t handle our shine” in another video addressing some of the negative comments she has received throughout her online career. 

The SXSW featured session where Calandrelli will speak is called Screening Bias: Breaking Down Barriers for Women in STEM on TV. 

“Not only is Emily at the forefront of bringing science learning to audiences worldwide, but her expertise provides the perfect example of how education intersects with other fields,” said Greg Rosenbaum, vice president of SXSW EDU, in a news release. “On top of that, she is directly involved in creating the change that she is advocating for, which is an important throughline for many of the speakers and sessions we are curating for the 2025 program. The lineup continues to grow with disruptors who are exploring new ways to deliver learning and ensure that the needs of all stakeholders are addressed.”

The education portion of SXSW will take place from March 3-6, 2025, and the full festival will occur on March 7-15.