Dr. Ved Chirayath is both director and lead research scientist for NASA’s Laboratory for Advanced Sensing (LAS) at NASA Ames in Mountain View, California. His research is focused on inventing new instruments and technologies to map the ocean and planetary bodies. Dr. Chirayath is also the chair emeritus of the NASA Ames LGBTQ+ advisory group and serves as a Special Emphasis Program Manager for NASA HQ’s Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity. In this interview with Ved, we explore his research background and experience, as well as discuss outreach, inclusion, and engagement with underrepresented groups in STEM at NASA.