Profiles

Dr. Jean Dickey Physicist
Dr. Jean Dickey

The television program "As the World Turns" is an apt description for JPL physicist Dr. Jean Dickey's line of work: observing Earth's rotation and the factors that affect it.
November 14, 2003

Dr. Ayanna Howard Robotics Engineer
Dr. Ayanna Howard

In this video profile, Dr. Ayanna Howard takes us to JPL's Mars Yard and more as she describes how engineers design and test future rovers for Mars.
August 21, 2003

Dr. Gary Blackwood Interferometer Systems Manager
Dr. Gary Blackwood

In this video profile, Dr. Gary Blackwood explains how this future mission will look for signs of other worlds like ours.
July 11, 2003

electrical engineer Karreem Hogan Electrical Engineer
Karreem Hogan

Karreem Hogan is an electrical engineer participating in an academic program at JPL.
June 30, 2003

Dr. Suzanne Smrekar Planetary Geophysicist
Dr. Suzanne Smrekar

In this video profile, JPL's Dr. Suzanne Smrekar studies gravity's effects on Earth and other planets.
May 15, 2003

Geoff Marcy Astronomer and Planet-Hunter
Geoff Marcy

Leading planet-hunter Geoff Marcy predicts the discovery of another Earth within a decade.
April 9, 2003

David Doody Spaceflight Operations Engineer
David Doody

David Doody has been flying spacecraft since he was 5. Well, sort of flying them.
April 3, 2003

Sara Hyman Mission Operations Assurance Manager
Sara Hyman

If the producers of Jeopardy do call Sara Hyman, who recently passed the game show's qualifying tests, she won't be expecting anything related to her job to turn up as a category.
March 4, 2003

Angel Sanabria Solar System Ambassador Angel Sanabria

Whether he is talking to children or adults, Solar System Ambassador Angel Sanabria knows how to capture everybody's imagination about the wonders of space.
February 14, 2003

Dr. Claudia Alexander What secrets do comets hold?

In this video profile 'First Person,' JPL's Dr. Claudia Alexander explains what we hope to learn from these dirty ice balls.
January 31, 2003

Dr. Anne Kahle Geophysicist Dr. Anne Kahle

A pioneer in remote sensing, Dr. Anne Kahle has helped develop several innovative instruments that observe Earth from space.
January 15, 2003

JPL engineer Alberto Behar What's the shape of robots in the future?

In this video profile 'First Person,' JPL engineer Alberto Behar tests robotic technologies in the remote ice fields of Antarctica.
December 19, 2002

Robert Hogg Robert Hogg, Engineering Robots of the Future

In just five years at JPL, Hogg has already worked on some of the latest robotic vehicles to explore our own planet and beyond.
December 18, 2002

Sophia Malloy Sophia Malloy, Mission Planner and Sequence Engineer

Sophia Malloy learned how to run a tight ship during her years in the military. Those skills are put to good use as a mission planner for two ocean-observing satellites.
December 6, 2002

Dr. Michelle Thaller How Do We study the Distant Universe?

In this video profile 'First Person,' Caltech astrophysicist Dr. Michelle Thaller discusses methods astronomers use to study stars and galaxies.
November 15, 2002

Dr. Moustafa Chahine A Conversation with Dr. Moustafa Chahine

Dr. Moustafa Chahine is the science team leader on a suite of instruments that will measure Earth's atmospheric temperature and humidity profiles with high accuracy.
November 12, 2002

researcher and student Elizabeth Lester Student's Curiosity Leads to Discovery

College senior Elizabeth Lester's work on a device to detect bacterial spores contributed to the new biohazard detector.
October 23, 2002

Art Chmielewski Art Chmielewski on A.I. and Space Tech

In this video profile 'First Person,' Art Chmielewski, project manager for New Millennium project ST6, discusses artificial intelligence and new technologies for NASA spacecraft.
October 21, 2002

Dr. Ayanna Howard Dr. Ayanna Howard, JPL's Bionic Woman

Howard is JPL's own bionic woman who, at the moment, is helping develop an advanced Entry, Descent and Landing software application that can look at virtual terrain on Mars.
August 8, 2002

Dr. Robert Crippen Dr. Robert Crippen, Geologist and Geographer

Dr. Robert Crippen expects the Grand Canyon to be delivered to his office any day.
June 7, 2002

Belinda Arroyo Belinda Arroyo, Deep Space Network Allocation and Planning Team

So many spacecraft - so little time - tracking time, that is. Negotiating tracking time is what Belinda Arroyo's team does for a living.

Dr. Edward Olsen Dr. Edward Olsen, Astronomer and Earth Scientist

Edward Olsen started his science career as an astronomer looking outward at the universe, but now he has turned his focus in the other direction - inward towards Earth.

David Charbonneau David Charbonneau, Planet Hunter

Although the planets found so far outside our solar system are incapable of supporting life as we know it, the detection of those elusive, small Earth-like worlds may be closer than you think, according to Caltech's David Charbonneau.

Bob Mase Bob Mase, Mars Odyssey Navigator

Caught unawares, Odyssey lead navigator Bob Mase mumbled "what?" when he learned that he and the Odyssey navigation team had won one of Aviation Week and Space Technology magazine's annual Laurel awards.

Charlie Kohlhase Charlie Kohlhase, long-time mission manager

After spending a career in planetary exploration, Charley Kohlhase dreams not of the past, but of the future. What does he envision someday? Humans living on Mars, continuing to study the planet in great detail.

Steve Alfery Steve Alfery, Acquisitions for Mars Rovers

No banks, stock exchanges or other financial institutions are known to exist on Mars. So how does a business and economics graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara end up in a key role on a mission to the red planet?

Joy Crisp Dr. Joy Crisp, Project Scientist

Tucked away in a prefab trailer office at JPL, Dr. Joy Crisp is helping plan NASA's next mission to Mars. As project scientist for the Mars Exploration Rover Mission, she's ramping up for the twin rovers' expected landing in 2004.

Alfonso Feria Alfonso Feria, Mechanical Engineer

How do scientists communicate with spacecraft millions of miles from Earth? With the help of engineers like Alfonso Feria.

Conan Viernes Conan Viernes, Electrical Engineer

A knack for science and math led Conan Viernes from the Yakama Indian Reservation in Washington State to an engineering position at JPL.

Rosaly Lopes Rosaly Lopes, Volcanologist Studying Io

Dr. Rosaly Lopes is on the team for one of the Galileo instruments that has returned information about active volcanoes on Jupiter's moon Io.

Lloyd French Lloyd French, Engineer and Underwater Explorer.

For JPL engineer Lloyd French, going scuba diving was just part of a day's work when he was asked to develop an underwater probe.

Sister Clarice Sister Clarice's Passion for Education.

Sister Clarice Lolich is a Dominican nun in the Community of the Holy Spirit, a space-science education specialist, and a retired NASA consultant.

Eilene Theilig Eilene Theilig, Jupiter Explorer.

Theilig leads NASA's Galileo mission to Jupiter.

Thomas Valdez Thomas Valdez, Chemical Engineer.

Valdez works on a range of electrochemical technologies, and he is deeply involved in fuel cell research.

Mark Helmlinger Mark Helmlinger, Earth Scientist

Mark Helmlinger travels to remote corners of the world to study data from an instrument orbiting hundreds of miles above Earth.

Andrea Donnellan Andrea Donnellan, Geophysicist Exploring Earth

Donnellan is one of JPL's movers and shakers in Earth science, keeping tabs on seismic activity, particularly in frozen terrain.

Ann Devereaux Talking Technology with Ann Devereaux

Devereaux discusses the Wireless Augmented Reality Prototype (WARP) which astronauts may one day use in space.

Dr. Ed Stone Dr. Ed Stone, Solar System Explorer

Dr. Stone, JPL's director since 1991, is stepping down on May 1. During his tenure, the Laboratory has overseen 15 missions for NASA.

George Pace George Pace, 2001 Mars Odyssey Project

Pace manages JPL's next interplanetary mission, the 2001 Mars Odyssey, shown here during launch preparations at the Kennedy Space Center.

Shonte Wright Shonte Wright, Thermal Engineer

Wright works on a variety of JPL missions, making sure spacecraft perform efficiently in space.

Dr. Alberto Behar Dr. Alberto Behar, Antarctic Explorer

Behar serves as JPL's chief engineer on the Antarctic Ice Borehole Probe Project.

Bobby Williams Bobby Williams, NEAR Navigator

Williams, head of the navigation team, guided the NEAR spacecraft to a soft landing on asteroid Eros.

Dr. Jim Fanson Dr. Jim Fanson, Galactic Explorer

Fanson manages a mission that is part of JPL's quest to explore beyond our solar system and look far into the universe.