Spring

LPL alumnus Dr. Paul Geissler passed away on March 23, 2026 surrounded by his wife Nadine, his four brothers, and all his children. 

He felt privileged to participate in the exploration of the solar system during a career that spanned over 30 years. Paul earned his Ph.D. in Planetary Sciences at the University of Arizona in 1992 with a dissertation titled Spectrophotometric Mapping of Coprates Quadrangle, Mars. He was a Senior Research Associate at the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory until 2003, when he moved to the U.S. Geological Survey in Flagstaff, Arizona.

His research focused on the surfaces of Mars and outer solar system satellites, with funding support from multiple NASA data analysis programs. He was affiliated with the Galileo and Cassini Imaging Teams and a Co-Investigator on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter HiRISE camera team. He was also selected as a Participating Scientist on the Mars Exploration Rover mission and served as a Payload Uplink Lead for the close-up cameras on the MER and Mars Science Laboratory science teams.

In 2021 he was among those ranked in the top 2% of scientists in the world according to a study by experts at Stanford University. He led or co-authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications and made numerous contributions to the popular press, sharing his scientific knowledge and discoveries with the public. Moreover, Paul was always friendly and easy to work with, inspiring colleagues and students alike.

Advisor: Walter Harris

Outreach

Built to Last: Scaling an Astrobiology Curriculum for Incarcerated Youth

By Lori Huseby and Searra Foote

On the weekend of February 27th - March 1st, 2026, the Kuiper Space Sciences building and the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory hosted the graduate student-led art show, The Art of Planetary Science (TAPS). Over 450 artists, scientists, and community members participated and visited the exhibit, where over 170 pieces of fine art, data art, theme art, and a special exhibit were displayed. The theme this year was “Space Through Our Lens,” evoking the feelings of inspiration and wonder when staring up at the night sky (e.g. through telescopes, cameras, etc.) and exploring our universe through a human perspective (e.g. our place in space).

Our keynote speaker this year was Regents Professor and Principal Investigator of HiRISE Dr. Alfred McEwen, who talked about the HiRISE mission, the incredible images that have been received thus far, and how geological images can be used as art. The special exhibit for this year was Apollo-era themed, featuring art from William K. Hartmann, Robert Rauschenberg, and Robert McCall. We express our sincere thanks to the Planetary Science Institute for the donation and loan of the Hartmann works during the show. We also express our gratitude to the Chuck Sonett family for the opportunity to show the Robert Rauschenberg works in our special exhibit.

In addition to this special exhibit, there were special events each day. Local bands “Daytrails”, “Rubee”, and “Tonight’s Sunshine” performed outside, night and day telescopes were provided for all by Professor of Practice Steve Kortenkamp and the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association, respectively. On Saturday night we collaborated with Queer’d Science and the PRIDE team of the Tucson Public Library for a science-based Burlesque show, titled “Queer’d Science Astro Chiasm Cabaret” at Club Congress.

Visit the TAPS website for more information on the art show, including art winners and photo gallery, and information about our upcoming shows, including submission and show dates. Thank you to everyone who participated and visited the exhibit this year, and we cannot wait to see you all again in February 2027 for the next TAPS art show!

Advisors: Samuel Crossley, Jessica Barnes

Multiphoton Microscopy for 3D Imaging and Analysis of Silica-Rich Minerals from the Moon, Meteorites and Terrestrial Granites

Congratulations to the 2026 LPL recipients of seed grants from the Arizona Astrobiology Center! 

• Ocean Valdez, Undergraduate Astrobiology minor
• Rishi Chandra, Graduate Student (Planetary Sciences/LPL)
• Robin Van Auken, R&D Engineer/Scientist and Graduate Student (Planetary Sciences/LPL)
• Dr. Christopher Hamilton, Professor (LPL) 

The AABC Seed Grant program is an opportunity to foster creative, ambitious, and interdisciplinary scholarship and engagement in the expansive field of astrobiology. This initiative is uniquely inclusive, extending beyond the traditional confines of biological and space sciences. Researchers from the social sciences, arts, science education, and other diverse fields are invited to contribute their perspectives and expertise. The Center aims to nurture innovative, interdisciplinary research endeavors that deepen our understanding of life's origins, evolution, distribution, and future in the universe. This seed grant is a call to thinkers and explorers across all disciplines.

Cole Meyer is the recipient of the 2026 Leif Erland Andersson Award for Service and Outreach.

Cole Meyer is a second-year student working with Professor Walt Harris. He is busy in the research community as an active member of the Optical and Space Flight Instrumentation Development (OSFID) group and lead graduate student on the Spatial Heterodyne Interferometric Molecular Cloud Observer sounding rocket. He also spearheads several instrument development efforts in the OSFID group. Cole is also a National Science Foundation Research Fellow and Arizona/NASA Space Grant Fellow.

Cole has devoted significant time to improving access to STEM education and serving the broader community. He has advised research projects for four undergraduate students, three of which are Arizona NASA Space Grant students and one high school student through STAR Lab. He is also a graduate instructor for University of Arizona Sky School, contributing to a specialized astronomy curriculum for a school visit in April 2026.

Cole has lead K-12 curriculum development efforts aimed at improving access to high quality STEM education for underrepresented and underprivileged students. With seed grant money from Arizona Astrobiology Center, Cole is a co-investigator for the Other Worlds program, which develops and delivers new astrobiology curricula to high school students at the Pima County Juvenile Detention Center (JDC). With his collaborators, Cole expanded this program to 12 graduate developers and multiple community partners, including UA Sky School and Pima County JDC CAPE School. Plans for the program include developing lesson plans (“Detecting life from afar” and “Life on Earth & Beyond: Foldscope Exploration of Microscopic Life”) and comic books (Wow! I’m a Scientist! Astrobiology Comic Book). This curriculum is planned to be delivered in June 2026 to the JDC Cape School.

The LPL Andersson Award for Service and Outreach is awarded annually to a PTYS graduate student in recognition for attention to broader impacts and involvement in activities outside of academic responsibilities that benefit the department, university, and the larger community. The award is named for Dr. Leif Andersson, a scientist who worked at LPL in the 1970s. Support the Andersson Award with a gift.

Previous Leif Andersson Award Recipients

Angela Tatsch is a Planetary Geosciences major with an additional Geosciences (Geophysics emphasis) major and a Mathematics minor. Since she was young, Angela followed NASA missions such as OSIRIS-REx, so when the new Planetary Geosciences major was announced her junior year, she quickly signed up.

Angela’s favorite class was PTYS 411: Geology and Geophysics of the Solar System, taught by Dr. Christopher Hamilton because the students learned about neighboring planetary bodies in detail. She really enjoyed the semester-long project, where she chose to learn more about the salts on Europa’s surface and how they can help constrain the tectonics and composition of this Galilean moon. The course also taught her how to write a literature review, which has aided her in other research projects.

Angela has worked on two lunar research projects under Dr. Jessica Barnes. She is also completing her internship through Arizona/NASA Space Grant, where she developed and applied advanced lab techniques to investigate potentially novel minerals in Apollo 17 samples. She has also conducted analyses of other Apollo 17 samples through the Apollo Next Generation Sample Analysis program. Dr. Pranabendu Moitra has also mentored research projects with Angela.

After graduation, Angela is pursing a Masters in Applied Geophysics, a joint degree through the IDEA League, attending TU Delft, ETH Zuirch, and RWTH Aachen in the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Germany. She wants to continue pursing research as well as participating in outreach and furthering STEM accessibility.

When Angela has some free time, she sings with the University Community Chorus, attends concerts, crafts with friends, catches up with her family, explores tea and coffee shops, and plays board games at Ni Hao Tea.

En-Chi is a Planetary Geosciences major with an additional Geosciences (Geophysics emphasis) major and both a Mathematics and a thematic minor. En-Chi once read about Saturn ring seismology and fell in love with Saturn and planetary geophysics. He transferred to the University of Arizona because he had heard about the new Planetary Geosciences major.

En-Chi appreciated taking PTYS 407: Chemistry of the Solar System, with Dr. Dante Lauretta. He said having a mission PI teach the course and talk about Bennu was a very unique experience.

For the last two years, En-Chi has been working with Dr. Chris Harig, focusing using satellite gravimetry and altimetry to constrain basin-scale ocean mass change and glacial isostatic adjustment. He is proud that he wrote a software package and a manuscript as part of this project. En-Chi will be starting his Ph.D. in Geophysics at Caltech and hopes to eventually work at a national lab.

In his free time, En-Chi has been learning to crochet and wants to make his favorite Pokémon, Quilava. He also reads everything related to The Lord of the Rings.

Olivia Cox is a Planetary Geosciences major with a minor in Astrobiology. Olivia always knew she wanted to study the Solar System, but was not sure which major would best align with this interest. She took a geology class in her freshman year, and learned she also liked studying the rocks and minerals that make up Earth. The Planetary Geosciences major was then announced, and Olivia knew this was a perfect combination of her interests.

Olivia’s favorite class was PTYS 214: Life in the Cosmos with Dr. Dante Lauretta. She took this in Fall 2023, which coincided with the OSIRIS-REx mission’s sample return to Earth. Getting to learn about the history of the mission, then watching Dr. Lauretta travel to Utah to retrieve the capsule, and then take a first look at the returned material at Johnson Space Center before returning to teach again, was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and piqued her interest in sample analysis.

Olivia has just finished her Honors Thesis with Dr. Jessica Barnes entitled, “Expanding the Petrologic and Geochemical Record of Luna 16 and 24 Mare Basalt Fragments.” In this project, she used instruments at Kuiper-Arizona Laboratory for Astromaterials Analysis (K-ALFAA), including optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and electron probe microanalysis to produce an overview of the textures and mineralogies of Luna fragments. She credits LPL with providing her the courses and research needed to prepare for this opportunity.

After graduating, Olivia with be attending Curtin University in Perth, Western Australia, for a Ph.D. opportunity with Dr. Nick Timms called “Unlocking Solar System Secrets from Asteroid Sample Return Missions.” Her focus will be on analyzing returned samples of asteroids including Bennu, Ryugu, and Itokawa.

When she is not working on schoolwork or research, Olivia really enjoys creating art. She pursues many types of art, including ceramics, photography, and using the machines at the Main Library’s CATalyst Studios to make odd trinkets. She also likes exploring Tucson‘s food, shopping, and outdoor scene with her friends.

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Nandini is majoring in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Biochemistry with minors in Astrobiology and Political Science. She has always been drawn to understanding the origins of life, but especially after diving into the astrobiology coursework. It has encouraged her to make connections across fields to understand early life on Earth and also what we might consider when looking for life elsewhere.

Nandini really enjoyed MCB 437: Life in Extreme Environments, taught by Dr. Solange Duhamel. Her favorite part of the course was learning about how researching modern day extremophiles can reveal clues about early life on Earth. This class inspired her to get involved with astrobiology research.

Nandini currently works on research projects with Dr. Joanna Masel in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Her project centers around understanding the evolution of metal binding by ancient proteins and what that can tell us about the environments, conditions, and metabolisms that were important to early life on Earth.

She feels incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to take the courses that explore the astrobiology field and feels very supported by the University of Arizona astrobiology community. After graduation, Nandini would like to pursue a Ph.D. in molecular biology.

Outside of school and research, Nandini loves to read, go out for runs, and visit coffee shops around Tucson.