I am leading a new GEODES SSERVI NASA project that uses geophysics to enable human exploration of the Moon and Mars. Please read more about our team here.
Overview: I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Geology at the University of Maryland and Participating Scientist on the NASA InSight Mission to Mars, and lead of the GEODES SSERVI project. My research group is working on deciphering the formation, dynamics, and evolution of planetary surfaces and interiors. This research requires knowledge across a wide variety of scientific disciplines, in particular geophysics, geodynamics, geology, geochemistry, tectonics, mineral physics, petrology, astronomy, cosmochemistry, as well as a solid grounding in mathematics and physical science.
You can see more about our group at the UMD Planetary Geophysics Lab, and the Seismological Laboratory at the University of Maryland.
Collaboration: Research of the deep interior requires a multidisciplinary approach, and my group works closely with many researchers across departments on the UMD campus, in the greater DC/MD/VA region, and internationally. UMD is well situated to allow convenient access to the wide diversity of local research institutions, including the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, USGS, NOAA, the Smithsonian Institution, the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, and the Carnegie Institution for Science, to name a few!
