#SoCaltech: Veronica Mullins Bowers

“I have this personal philosophy of wanting to find the magic in everything, to see the beauty in all the little things that often go overlooked. Being able to see people experience something I made—maybe a fleeting hour and a half of a magical play or the five minutes they’re walking through an alleyway at Disneyland, and they hear this soundtrack that just brings them into the moment. That has always been the absolute best part of what I do, and I like being able to bring the magic of science to people—especially through our Watson and Science Journey lectures.

“Imagineering had been a dream of mine since I was a little kid. I remember seeing some of the first showings of Fantasmic at Disneyland, and when I saw that I thought, whatever that is, that’s what I want to do.

“That really carries over to my job at Caltech. Everything that's magical in this world can be explained by science, and I think that's an incredible thing. It's one of the big things that drew me to Caltech, that emphasis on making our science accessible.

“I like that my job isn’t the same thing every day. One day, I could be running lights, or the sound board, or helping speakers get oriented. With Science Journeys, I might help speakers set up their PowerPoints and displays and make sure they have a venue full of people to share that with. The important thing is creating an event that connects people at Caltech with each other—and the larger community—in a fun way.”

Caltech stage technician Veronica Mullins Bowers is a former Disney Imagineer with extensive experience in sound design, theatre, and themed entertainment, all of which she brings to her work at the Institute.

#SoCaltech is an occasional series celebrating the diverse individuals who give Caltech its spirit of excellence, ambition, and ingenuity. Know someone we should profile? Send nominations to magazine@caltech.edu.