[meteorite-list] NASA Welcomes New Chief Scientist (Ellen Stofan)

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2013 12:23:04 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <201307291923.r6TJN4t9010305_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

July 29, 2013

Sarah DeWitt
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-2451
sarah.l.dewitt at nasa.gov

RELEASE 13-225

NASA Welcomes New Chief Scientist

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden has named planetary geologist Ellen Stofan
the agency's chief scientist, effective Aug. 25.

Stofan will be Bolden's principal advisor on the agency's science programs
and science-related strategic planning and investments.

Prior to her appointment, Stofan was vice president of Proxemy Research in
Laytonsville, Md., and honorary professor in the department of Earth sciences
at University College London in England.

The appointment marks Stofan's return to NASA. From 1991 through 2000, she
held a number of senior scientist positions at NASA's Jet Propulsion
Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., including chief scientist for NASA's New
Millennium Program, deputy project scientist for the Magellan Mission to
Venus, and experiment scientist for SIR-C, an instrument that provided radar
images of Earth on two shuttle flights in 1994.

"Ellen brings an extraordinary range of scientific research knowledge and
planetary exploration experience to the chief scientist position," Bolden
said. "Her breadth of experience and familiarity with the agency will allow
her to hit the ground running. We're fortunate to have her on our team."

Stofan conducts research on the geology of Venus, Mars, Saturn's moon Titan,
and Earth. Stofan is an associate member of the Cassini Mission to Saturn
Radar Team and a co-investigator on the Mars Express Mission's MARSIS
sounder. She also was principal investigator on the Titan Mare Explorer, a
proposed mission to send a floating lander to a sea on Titan.

Stofan holds master and doctorate degrees in geological sciences from Brown
University in Providence, R.I., and a bachelor's degree from the College of
William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va.

She has received many awards and honors, including the Presidential Early
Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. Stofan has authored and published
numerous professional papers, books and book chapters, and has chaired
committees including the National Research Council Inner Planets Panel for
the recent Planetary Science Decadal Survey and the Venus Exploration
Analysis Group.

For information about NASA missions and programs, visit:??

http://www.nasa.gov

-end-
Received on Mon 29 Jul 2013 03:23:04 PM PDT