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

[Ron Baalke]

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:Â 

http://www.nasa.gov 

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