Jeffrey Andrews-Hanna

Professor

Lunar Studies, Planetary Geophysics, Planetary Surfaces, Titan & Outer Solar System

My research focuses on understanding the processes acting on the surfaces and interiors of the solid-surface planets and moons in our solar system.  I am interested in geodynamic, tectonic, magmatic, hydrologic, and climatic processes, at scales ranging from local to global. To this end, I combine the analysis of gravity, topography, and other remote sensing datasets with numerical modeling.  Current research interests include terrestrial planet tectonics, volcanism, impact basins, and hydrology; with projects on the Moon, Mars, Venus, and Pluto.

Ph.D., 2006, Washington University

Years with LPL: 2017

Dániel Apai

Interim Associate Dean for Research, College of Science, Principal Investigator, Alien Earths, Professor

Astrobiology, Exoplanets, Planetary Atmospheres, Planetary Formation and Evolution

Dr. Apai’s research focuses on exoplanetary systems, including planet formation, planetary atmospheres, exoplanet discovery and characterization. His work covers habitable and non-habitable small exoplanets, gas giant exoplanets, and brown dwarfs.

Read more about Dr. Apai's research on his website and blog on exoplanet exploration and astrobiology.

Ph.D., 2004, University of Heidelberg

Years with LPL: 2011 to present

Erik Asphaug

Professor

Lunar Studies, Planetary Analogs, Planetary Geophysics, Planetary Surfaces, Small Bodies, Theoretical Astrophysics, Titan & Outer Solar System

I study giant impacts that dominate the late stage of planet and satellite formation, such as that which formed the Moon, that can explain why planets are so diverse and sometimes hemispherically dichotomous. I also study the geophysics of asteroids, comets and small moons, the 'small bodies' left over from accretion. I study the strength properties of meteorites and the origin of chondrules. Motivated students have led me to study other topics such as lakes and patterned ground on Mars, the delivery of volatiles to the lunar surface, and Saturn's rings. I am on the science team of NASA's Psyche mission, and ESA's Hera mission to Didymos, and JAXA's MMX mission to the Martian moons. I am Science PI of the SpaceTREx laboratory at U Arizona that is advancing miniaturized space exploration and small cubesat laboratories for low-gravity research.  

B.S., 1984, Rice University; Ph.D., 1993, University of Arizona

Years with LPL: 2017

Travis Barman

Professor

Exoplanets

My research delves into both theoretical and observational aspects of extrasolar planets. As a lead developer of the PHOENIX model atmosphere code, I am responsible for maintaining and expanding its abilities to predict and interpret the atmospheric properties of exoplanets and brown dwarfs. My theoretical work is used extensively in ground-based direct-imaging planet search programs, in particular as a lead investigator for the new Gemini Planet Imager Survey. I am also heavily involved in programs focused on spectroscopy of extrasolar planets, from transiting to directly imaged. By comparing theoretical model spectra to real photometric and spectroscopic observations, a variety of planet properties can be deduced. Atmospheric structure (horizontal and vertical run of temperature and pressure), surface gravities, chemical composition, and global wind patterns are a few examples of the kinds of planet properties we seek through model observation comparisons.

Ph.D., 2002, University of Georgia

Years with LPL: 2013 to present

Jessica Barnes (She/Her)

Associate Professor

Cosmochemistry, Lunar Studies, Planetary Analogs

My research focuses on understanding the origin and evolution of volatiles in the solar system. I utilize a combination of nano and microanalytical techniques in the Kuiper-Arizona Laboratory for Astromaterials Analysis to study mineralogy, geochemistry, isotopes and petrological histories of a wide range of extraterrestrial materials. 

My group is currently engaged in a project under the umbrella of Apollo Next-Generation Sample Analysis (ANGSA) program. The release of sample 71036 presents a unique opportunity to study volatiles in a basalt that has been frozen and specially preserved since its return and to compare those results with basalts of similar bulk chemistries that have been stored at room temperature. This exceptional suite of basalts also offers a chance to unravel the history of volatile loss on the Moon, from the onset of mineral crystallization through vesicle formation, sampling, and subsequent curation. We are conducting a detailed study of the major, minor, and volatile element chemistry (including H isotopes) of H-bearing minerals and melt inclusions in four Apollo 17 basalts, and to determine the U-Pb and Ar ages of the basalts. 

Other ongoing projects include investigating the petrology of igneous lunar samples, coordinated microanalysis of meteorites to investigate the evolution of water in the Martian crust, and studies aimed at assessing the inventories and origins of volatiles on primitive chondritic and achondritic asteroids. The latter includes studies of samples recently returned from asteroid Bennu by the OSIRIS-REx space mission.

Ph.D., 2015, The Open University and The Natural History Museum, London UK

Years with LPL: Fall 2019

Veronica Bray (She/Her)

Associate Research Professor

Lunar Studies, Planetary Analogs, Planetary Surfaces

Dr. Veronica Bray is Planetary Scientist and Spacecraft Science Operations Engineer at the University of Arizona. Dr Bray's past and current research projects focus on impact cratering, channel formation, fracturing and landscape evolution on a variety of planetary bodies - both rocky and icy.  She uses observations at multiple wavelengths, computer modeling, terrestrial fieldwork and theoretical analysis to study the surface processes themselves and also the surface/sub-surface properties of planetary bodies. 

Please note I am not planning to accept new graduate students in 2024-2025. You can find opportunities being advertised with other LPL faculty here: Current Research Opportunities.

 

Ph.D., 2008, Imperial College London

Years with LPL: 2008-present

Shane Byrne (He/Him)

Professor

Astrobiology, Photogrammetry, Planetary Analogs, Planetary Geophysics, Planetary Surfaces, Titan & Outer Solar System

I am interested in surface processes on planetary bodies throughout the solar system, especially those processes that affect, or are driven by, planetary ices. I enjoy working with a diverse group of graduate students and postdocs. Our areas of activity include Martian ice stability, polar stratigraphy and connection to past climates; Ceres ice, both cryovolcanic and as a source of water vapor; and ice-sublimation landforms on a variety of bodies.

Missions are a big part of what we do. I’m a co-Investigator on the HiRISE and CaSSIS cameras at Mars and a Guest Investigator on the Dawn mission at Ceres. I’m also the director of the Space Imagery Center, a NASA Regional Planetary Image Facility. We archive planetary spacecraft and telescopic data not available online and conduct many outreach events.

Ph.D., 2003, California Institute of Technology

Years with LPL: 2007 to present

Lynn Carter (she/her)

Associate Department Head, Professor, University Distinguished Scholar

Earth, Lunar Studies, Planetary Analogs, Planetary Geophysics, Planetary Surfaces, Titan & Outer Solar System

Dr. Carter’s research interests include volcanism and impact cratering on the terrestrial planets and Moon, surface properties of asteroids and outer Solar System moons, planetary analog field studies, climate change, and the development of radar remote sensing techniques. She is currently the Science Team Lead for the NASA-provided VenSAR radar on the ESA EnVision mission to Venus.  She is also a team member on the RIMFAX radar on Mars2020/Perseverance, the Shadowcam camera on Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter, the REASON radar on Europa Clipper, the Shallow Radar (SHARAD) radar on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and the Mini-RF radar on Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. She also uses Earth-based telescopic radar data to study polarimetric synthetic aperture images of planets, the Moon and asteroids. She has previously used ground penetrating radar at multiple field sites including Kilauea lava flows and pyroclastics in Hawaii, Sunset crater and Meteor crater in Arizona, and permafrost sites near Bonanza Creek outside of Fairbanks Alaska. She is also part of a team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center developing a polarimetric digital beamforming radar system for planetary or Earth orbiter missions. This radar system was recently awarded First Runner Up for the NASA Government Invention of the Year Award.

Ph.D., 2005, Cornell University

Years with LPL: 2016 to present

Dani Mendoza DellaGiustina (she/her)

Assistant Professor, Deputy Principal Investigator, OSIRIS-REx, Principal Investigator, OSIRIS-APEX

Earth, Photogrammetry, Planetary Analogs, Planetary Geophysics, Planetary Surfaces, Small Bodies

Ph.D., 2021, University of Arizona

Years with LPL: 2014 to present

Joe Giacalone

Professor

Solar and Heliospheric Research, Theoretical Astrophysics

Dr. Giacalone's core research interests include understanding the origin, acceleration, and propagation of cosmic rays, and other charged-particle species in the magnetic fields of space, and general topics in space plasma physics, and astrophysics.

He develops physics-based theoretical and computational models which are used to interpret in situ spacecraft observations. He is interested in the general properties of solar, interplanetary, and galactic magnetic fields.

Currently, he is studying the origin of large solar-energetic particle events (a.k.a. solar cosmic rays) which involves a number of diverse aspects of solar physics and space physics. He has written papers describing the propagation of solar-flare particles from the Sun to the Earth where they are observed by spacecraft such as ACE, Ulysses, Wind, etc.

He is also interested in the general topic of particle acceleration in astrophysical plasmas.

Ph.D. 1991, University of Kansas

Years with LPL: 1993 to present

Virginia Gulick (she/her)

Research Professor

Astrobiology, Planetary Analogs, Planetary Surfaces

Ph.D., 1993, The University of Arizona

Years with LPL: 2021 to present

Pierre Haenecour (he/him)

Assistant Professor

Astrobiology, Cosmochemistry, Planetary Astronomy, Small Bodies

“Where the telescope ends, the microscope begins. Which of the two has the grander view?” _{Victor Hugo (Les Misérables, 1862)}

My research focus on the building blocks and early history of the Solar System history, and the origin of life through coordinated in-situ laboratory analyses of circumstellar and interstellar dust grains and organic molecules in unequiliberated planetary materials (e.g., meteorites, micrometeorites and interplanetary dust particles) using nano and microanalytical techniques in the Kuiper-Arizona Laboratory for Astromaterials Analysis and Planetary Materials Research Group. Circumstellar dust grains, also called stardust or presolar grains, formed in previous generations of stars, were included in the materials in the molecular cloud from which our solar system formed, and were preserved in asteroids and comets. As bona fide dust grains from stars, the laboratory analysis of presolar grains  provides a 'snapshot' of conditions (e.g., nucleosynthesis, temperature, pressure and dust condensation process) in their parent stars at the time of the grain's formation. Furthermore, as building blocks our own Solar System, the comparison of the chemical composition, abundance and distribution of presolar grains provide us insight into the early stages of solar system formation.

I also use in-situ heating experiments inside electron microscopes (both SEM and TEM) to constrain variations in elemental and isotopic compositions, mineralogies, microstructures, textures and morphologies of bioessential compounds in function of the conditions (e.g., temperature and time) of thermal processes on asteroids. As prebiotic components, understanding the thermal history of these materials is crucial to unveil their origin(s) and evolution, as well as to constrain the delivery of bioessential elements to the Earth.

My group is also actively working on getting ready for the analysis of samples from asteroid (101955) Bennu  that are being returned to Earth by the NASA OSIRIS-REx mission, and on the NASA Alien Earths project to advance our understanding of how nearby planetary systems formed and which systems are more likely to harbor habitable worlds.

Ph.D., 2016 Washington University in St. Louis

Years with LPL: 2017 to present

Christopher Hamilton

Associate Professor

Astrobiology, Earth, Lunar Studies, Photogrammetry, Planetary Analogs, Planetary Geophysics, Planetary Surfaces

Dr. Hamilton's research focuses on geological surface processes to better understand the evolution of the Earth and other planetary bodies. His specialty relates to volcanology and specifically to lava flows, magma-water interactions, and explosive eruptions using a combination of field observations, remote sensing, geospatial analysis, machine learning, and geophysical modeling. These topics provide insight into the evolution of planetary interiors, surfaces, and atmospheres through magma production, ascent, and volcanism.

Ph.D., 2010, University of Hawaii

Years with LPL: 2014 to present

Walter Harris

Professor

Planetary Astronomy, Planetary Atmospheres, Small Bodies, Solar and Heliospheric Research

Dr. Harris' research is focused on the structure of thin atmospheres and their transition to and interactions with the space environment. He is particularly interested the information that comet atmospheres provide about basic photochemical processes, the formation of the solar system, and the characteristics of the solar wind. He is also engaged in an ongoing study of the plasma interface between the solar wind and interstellar medium via remote sensing of interstellar neutral material as it passes through the solar system.

In addition to their observational program, Dr. Harris' group has an active instrument development effort in the area of spatial heterodyne spectroscopy, or SHS. SHS instruments occupy a special observational niche by providing very high velocity resolution of angularly extended emission line targets with much higher sensitivity than classical spectroscopy. Current funding for SHS development has led to new instruments for both ground (visible band) and suborbital (far ultraviolet) observations of comets and the interplanetary medium.

Ph.D., 1993, University of Michigan

Years with LPL: 2013 to present

Jack Holt

Professor, EDO Director

Earth, Planetary Analogs, Planetary Geophysics, Planetary Surfaces

Ph.D., 1997, California Institute of Technology

Years with LPL: 2018

Lon Hood

Research Professor

Earth, Planetary Geophysics

My research is currently focused on two interdisciplinary areas: (1) Coupling between the Earth's stratosphere and troposphere; and (2) mapping and interpretation of planetary crustal magnetic fields.  The stratosphere / troposphere coupling work is oriented toward understanding the effects of stratospheric processes (mainly the QBO and solar forcing) on tropospheric circulation and climate.  The planetary crustal magnetic field work is most recently aimed at mapping newly acquired orbital magnetometer data at Mercury and at resolving long-standing issues relating to the origin of lunar crustal magnetism.

Ph.D., 1979, UCLA

Years with LPL: 1979 to present

Ellen Howell

Research Professor

Small Bodies

Dr. Howell's research interests are small solar system bodies, asteroids and comets. She uses a variety of observational tools at wavelengths ranging from visible to radio to study the composition, size, shape, and surface structures of these bodies.

Ph.D., 1995, University of Arizona

Years with LPL: 2015 to present

Kristopher Klein

Associate Professor

Solar and Heliospheric Research, Theoretical Astrophysics

Dr. Klein's research focuses on studying fundamental plasma phenomena that governs the dynamics of systems within our heliosphere as well as more distant astrophysical bodies. He has particular interest in identifying heating and energization mechanisms in turbulent plasmas, such as the Sun's extended atmosphere known as the solar wind, as well as evaluating the effects of the departure from local thermodynamic equilibrium on nearly collisionless plasmas which are ubiquitous in space environments. As part of this work, Prof. Klein is a co-developer of the Arbitrary Linear Plasma Solver (ALPS) numerical dispersion solver, an open source code used for quantifying the behavior of such non-equilibrium systems.

These systems are studied with a combination of analytic theory and numerical simulation, including large-scale nonlinear turbulence codes such as AstroGK, HVM, and gkeyll. These theoretical predictions are compared to in situ observations from spacecraft including NASA's Wind, MMS and Parker Solar Probe mission, as well as the upcoming HelioSwarm mission, which will fly nine spacecraft between the Earth and moon to characterize the transport and dissipation of turbulent energy in space plasmas. By comparing theory with local plasma measurements, we aim to answer a variety of questions about the behavior of plasma in our solar system.

Ph.D., 2013, University of Iowa

Years with LPL: 2017

Steve Kortenkamp

Professor of Practice

Science education, with an emphasis on developing and exploring techniques for teaching astronomy to students who are blind (developed 3D tactile resources in image below). Planet formation and orbital dynamics of asteroids, dust particles, planetesimals.  Children's science author for struggling readers in grades K-8.

Ph.D., 1996, University of Florida

Years with LPL: 2001 to present

Tommi Koskinen

Associate Department Head, Associate Professor

Exoplanets, Planetary Atmospheres, Planetary Formation and Evolution, Titan & Outer Solar System

Dr. Koskinen’s research focuses on the structure and evolution of planet and satellite atmospheres in the solar system and extrasolar planetary systems.  He is particularly interested in the physics and chemistry of the middle and upper atmosphere that he studies through both the analysis of observations and theoretical modeling.  His research covers a wide range of different objects and techniques in the spirit of comparative planetology, which is critical to our understanding of the evolution of planetary atmospheres and environments in general.  Dr. Koskinen served as a participating scientist on the Cassini mission and he is still actively involved in research on the atmospheres of Saturn and Titan.  In addition, he develops and maintains models of exoplanet atmospheres that are required to interpret current and planned observations as well as to simulate mass loss and address questions on long-term evolution.

Ph.D., 2008, University College London

Years with LPL: 2009 to present

Dante Lauretta

Director, Arizona Astrobiology Center, Principal Investigator, OSIRIS-REx, Regents Professor

Astrobiology, Cosmochemistry, Small Bodies

Arizona Astrobiology Center

Dante Lauretta is a Regents Professor of Planetary Science and Cosmochemistry at the University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory and the Director of the Arizona Astrobiology Center. He is an expert in near-Earth asteroid formation and evolution and serves as the Principal Investigator of NASA's OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sample Return mission. OSIRIS-REx is the United States' flagship mission to explore a potentially hazardous near-Earth asteroid, Bennu, to study its physical and chemical properties, assess its impact risk, evaluate its resource potential, and return a pristine sample to Earth for detailed scientific analysis.

The spacecraft launched in September 2016, reached Bennu in 2018, and successfully collected a sample in October 2020. On September 24, 2023, the mission achieved a major milestone when the sample capsule returned to Earth. The analysis of these samples is currently underway, offering groundbreaking insights into the origin of life, the processes that shaped the early solar system, and Earth's development as a habitable world.

Dante is also affiliated with NASA's OSIRIS-APEX mission, which builds on OSIRIS-REx's success by extending its exploration of asteroids. Having led the OSIRIS-REx mission to its historic sample return, Dante has since handed the leadership of OSIRIS-APEX to the next generation, ensuring the continued exploration of the solar system by fostering new talent and ideas.

In addition to his leadership roles, he maintains an active research program in cosmochemistry and astrobiology, focusing on understanding the chemical evolution of the solar system and the formation of organic molecules essential for life.

View Dante Lauretta’s TEDx Talk: How asteroid hunters are solving Earth's greatest mysteries

Ph.D., 1997, Washington University

Years with LPL: 2001 to present

Renu Malhotra

Louise Foucar Marshall Science Research Professor, Regents Professor

Astrobiology, Exoplanets, Orbital Dynamics, Planetary Formation and Evolution, Small Bodies, Theoretical Astrophysics

Professor Malhotra's research spans orbital dynamics in the solar system and in exo-solar planetary systems. Current topics of research are: theory of orbital resonances, stability and chaos in the asteroid belt and in the Kuiper belt, orbital evolution mechanisms of near-Earth asteroids, the orbital migration history of the giant planets, and the dynamics of exo-solar planetary systems.

Ph.D., 1988, Cornell University

Years with LPL: 2000 to present

Mark S. Marley (he/him/his)

Director, Department Head, Professor

Exoplanets

Exoplanets; Planetary Formation and Evolution, Extrasolar planets, planetary and brown dwarf atmospheres, ring seismology.

Ph.D., 1990, University of Arizona

Years with LPL: 2021 to present

Angela Marusiak

Assistant Research Professor

Lunar Studies, Planetary Analogs, Planetary Geophysics, Small Bodies, Titan & Outer Solar System

I study how seismology and seismic instrumentation can be used to explore bodies in our solar system. As a member of the InSight team I was focused on detecting deep structure, including the size of the martian core. For the Dragonfly mission, I'm interested in how clathrates may alter the internal structure and seismic response of Titan. As a member of the LEMS team, I'll be helping to build the next astronaut-deployed seismometers on the Moon. Once LEMS is deployed, we'll be able to study the Moon's seismicity and learn about its interior structure. 

Ph.D., 2020 University of Maryland

Years with LPL: 2023 to present

Isamu Matsuyama

Professor

Astrobiology, Exoplanets, Lunar Studies, Planetary Formation and Evolution, Planetary Geophysics, Theoretical Astrophysics, Titan & Outer Solar System

Dr. Matsuyama is interested in the physics of planetary interiors and evolution, with an emphasis on understanding the processes that led to the extraordinary diversity of the solar system. He develops theoretical models which are used to interpret spacecraft and ground-based observations.

Current research interests involve improving our understanding of (1) the formation and evolution of the Moon by analysis of the global lunar figure, which provides a record of prior orbital and rotational states; and (2) characterization of the thermal and orbital evolution of icy satellites, with particular emphasis on determining the long-term survivability of their subsurface oceans.

Ph.D., 2005, University of Toronto

Years with LPL: 2011 to present

Alfred McEwen

Regents Professor

Astrobiology, Lunar Studies, Photogrammetry, Planetary Analogs, Planetary Geophysics, Planetary Surfaces

Dr. McEwen is a planetary geologist and director of the Planetary Image Research Laboratory (PIRL). He is working on several active spacecraft experiments, listed below.

His major research interest is understanding active geologic processes such as volcanism, impact cratering, and slope processes. For Mars and the Moon he is studying a broad range of topics in planetary geology. He is also pursuing studies and proposals for future missions and experiments at Earth and to Jupiter's moons Io and Europa.

Ph.D., 1988, Arizona State University

Years with LPL: 1996 to present

Stefano Nerozzi (he/him/his)

Assistant Research Professor

Earth, Planetary Analogs, Planetary Geophysics, Planetary Surfaces

I'm an Italian planetary geologist interested in surface processes and near-subsurface geology and geophysics. My main area of expertise is remote sensing with a focus on radar sounding. I study a wide variety of geological features on Mars, ranging from polar deposits to low-latitude outflow channels systems. On Earth, I study debris covered glaciers as analogs to mid-latitude glaciers on Mars via ground penetrating radar, passive seismic techniques, and thermal profilers. I have a strong interest in instrument development, which ranges from modification of commercial seismometers to the design and construction of thermal profilers and environmental sensors.

Ph.D., 2019, The University of Texas at Austin

Years with LPL: 2025 to present

Michael Nolan

Deputy Principal Investigator, OSIRIS-APEX, Research Professor

Small Bodies

Ph.D., 1994, University of Arizona

Years with LPL: 2015 to present

Ilaria Pascucci

Professor

Astrobiology, Exoplanets, Planetary Astronomy, Planetary Formation and Evolution

My research is directed towards understanding how planets form and evolve and how common are planetary systems like our own Solar system. To this end, my group carries out observations aimed at characterizing the physical and chemical evolution of gaseous dust disks around young stars, the birth sites of planets. In addition, we use exoplanet surveys to re-construct the intrinsic frequency of planets around mature stars. By linking the birth sites of planets to the exoplanet populations, we contribute to building a comprehensive and predictive planet formation theory, a necessary step in identifying which nearby stars most likely host a habitable planet like Earth.

Ph.D., 2004, Max Planck Institute for Astronomy Heidelberg

Years with LPL: 2011 to present

Sukrit Ranjan (he/him)

Assistant Professor

Astrobiology, Earth, Exoplanets, Planetary Atmospheres, Planetary Formation and Evolution, Theoretical Astrophysics

Astrobiology, Earth, Early Earth, Exoplanets; Planetary Formation and Evolution, Origin of Life, Planetary Atmospheres, Photochemistry, Theoretical Astrophysics

Ph.D., 2017, Harvard University

Years with LPL: 2022 to present

Vishnu Reddy

Professor

Cosmochemistry, Planetary Astronomy, Planetary Surfaces, Small Bodies, Space Situational Awareness

Dr. Reddy’s research focuses on understanding the behavior of space objects (natural and artificial) using a range of Earth and space-based assets. His work on natural moving objects (asteroids, near-Earth objects) is directed towards their characterization for impact hazard assessment/mitigation, asteroid-meteorite link and resource utilization. To this effort, Dr. Reddy uses the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility on Mauna Kea, Hawai’i.

The orbital space around the Earth is an invaluable resource that is increasingly becoming congested, contested, and competitive with the ever increasing threat from artificial and our adversaries. Dr. Reddy uses the same techniques used to characterize asteroid to study the behavior of artificial objects to identify their nature, intent and origin. He is setting up a space material characterization lab to observe the reflectance properties of natural (meteorites/minerals) and artificial space material in space like conditions. 

Ph.D., 2009, University of North Dakota

Years with LPL: Spring 2016

George Rieke

Regents Professor

Planetary Astronomy

Dr. Rieke is currently conducting research programs in planetary debris disks and their relation to the evolution of planetary systems, and in the evolution of star formation in infrared galaxies.

Ph.D., 1969, Harvard

Years with LPL: 1970 to present

Tyler Robinson (he/him/his)

Associate Professor

Exoplanets

Tyler uses sophisticated radiative transfer and climate tools to study the atmospheres of Solar System worlds, exoplanets, and brown dwarfs. Tyler also develops instrument models for exoplanet direct imaging. He combines these areas of expertise in his work on the Habitable Exoplanet Observatory (HabEx) Science and Technology Definition Team, and in his contributions to the LUVOIR, WFIRST/Rendezvous, and Origins Space Telescope mission concept studies. Tyler is a Cottrell Scholar, as well as a former NASA Sagan Fellow and NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellow.

Ph.D., 2012, University of Washington

Years with LPL: Since 2022

Roger Yelle

Professor

Astrobiology, Exoplanets, Planetary Atmospheres, Titan & Outer Solar System

Professor Yelle studies the atmospheres in our solar system and the atmospheres of extra-solar planets. He analyzes telescopic and spacecraft data and constructs theories and models to determine the composition and structure of atmospheres and their interaction with surfaces and interplanetary space. Current projects include the study of chemical, thermal and dynamical processes in Titan’s upper atmosphere using primarily data from the Cassini mission to the Saturn system, escape processes on Titan, Mars, and extra-solar planets, and the composition and chemistry of the martian atmosphere. Yelle is a member of the Cassini Ion Neutral Mass Spectrometer Team and a co-I on the planned Maven mission to study the upper atmosphere of Mars.

Ph.D., 1984, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Years with LPL: 2001 to present

Tom Zega

Professor

Astrobiology, Cosmochemistry, Small Bodies

Dr. Zega applies a microscopy- and microanalysis-based approach to study the chemical and physical evolution of the early solar system. He uses ultrahigh-resolution ion- and electron-microscopy, including focused-ion-beam scanning-electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, to determine the composition and structure of planetary materials at scales ranging from millimeters down to the atomic. Such information is supported by computational thermodynamics to gain novel insights materials origins. His current research is focused on origin of refractory inclusions that formed the first solar-system solids and sulfides that formed in the early solar nebula. He is also involved in the analysis of samples returned by the JAXA Hayabusa missions to asteroid Itokawa and Ryugu, and those returned from asteroid Bennu by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission.

Ph.D., 2003, Arizona State University

Years with LPL: 2011 to present