Lee Bebout

Expertise: Cyanobacterial ecology / geobiology
Expedition Role: Survey stromatolite structures and cyanobacterial diversity.
Affiliation: NASA Ames

Who I am and What I Do

My name is Lee Prufert-Bebout. I study microbes, with an emphasis on cyanobacterial ecology. I also have a background in geology. My primary interests are in the interplay between the physical environment and the microbes that live in a given environment. I have done a lot of work with cyanobacteria and specialize in culturing species that are "difficult." More recently I've been focusing my work to study how cyanobacteria move in response to environmental conditions and other microbes to create physical 3-dimensional structures such as microbial mats, and various forms of stromatolites.

Career Journey

I've spent a lot of time working back and forth between the areas of microbial ecology and geology. I received a Bachelor's in Biology from Rhodes College in 1981. At that time I was very interested in working in an environmental area and especially in studying the links between microbes and their physical environment (ie., how environments affect microbes and in reverse how microbes affect their environment). Therefore I pursued a Geology Master's degree, which I received in 1985 from UNC Chapel Hill with a study focusing on diagenesis of iron and manganese in marine sediments. I then worked as a research associate at the University of North Carolina Institute of Marine Sciences on a variety of estuarine, near shore and open ocean research sites, with emphasis on nitrogen dynamics and cyanobacterial ecology.  It is there that I discovered a real enthusiasm for sleuthing out how and why specific cyanobacterial species are found where they are. When a researcher can discover enough they can figure out how to culture some species that were previously thought to be "unculturable" such as Trichodesmium (IMS 101) which I isolated in 1992. I then received a stipendium to pursue a Ph.D. in microbial ecology, conducting research at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, in Bremen Germany and receiving her degree from the University of Aarhus, Denmark in 1998. This work focused on how different cyanobacteria in microbial mats were adapted to life at different depths, due to the differences in light color and intensity found at those mat depths. From there I worked on microbes in the muds of salt marshes in Maryland before coming to NASA Ames. Here at Ames I have worked on hot-spring microbes, planetary protection issues, and continued work on stromatolite and microbial mat formation. We are also working on ways that microbial mats can be of applied use both here on Earth and in space.

Nathalie A. Cabrol

My name is Nathalie A. Cabrol. I am a planetary geologist specialized in the study of Mars and its ancient lakes as possible habitats for life. I work at NASA Ames Research Center (NASA ARC) and SETI Institute Center for the Search for Life in the Universe (LITU) in the Bay area in California. I arrived there 10 years ago from France with my husband and we turned our dreams of exploration into reality, from terrestrial extreme environments to the planet Mars!

For my research I interpret remote sensing data from the Mars missions; develop science exploration strategies for rover field experiments in terrestrial analogs to Mars in preparation for future missions; explore some of the highest lakes in the world to understand the limits of life on Earth and the potential for life in ancient Mars. This allows me to use my other passions in life: mountaineering and free diving (which means diving underwater without oxygen tanks). At 6,014 m (nearly 20,000 ft) where the atmosphere is already 48% thinner than at sea level, this is an interesting challenge but in the process, we collect extremely valuable data that could one day be useful to improve people's health. Finally, one of favorite activities is to share the excitement of exploration and discovery. This takes me on the road often to speak about Mars and Earth to kids, students, and the general public.

I am honored to be a member of the science team of the NASA Mars Exploration Rovers mission, still exploring Gusev Crater and Meridiani Planum with Spirit and Opportunity. The mission started in January 2004 and has been a life changing event not only for me and all of those who directly participate in the mission but also for those who realized through the images and data posted on the web that ancient Mars was very similar to Earth. The MER mission is writing an exquisite page of exploration. Working on Licancabur is for me a way to bridge time between Gusev and Meridiani, now dry, and extreme terrestrial lakes which are so similar to what those two sites on Mars could have been 3.5 billion years ago.

As the expedition leader, the safety of my crew is what comes first. Everything comes after. We all know and respect the environment we will leave and work in for nearly one month. We are all well-prepared and ready for the exploration ahead, and we are all looking after each other. You can read each team member's bio by clicking on "Team Members" on the homepage. They are all extraordinary people and I find myself extremely fortunate to be with them.

For those who want to see an expanded version of this bio and learn my background and how I became a planetary scientist, they can click here:

http://extremeenvironment.com/2003/team/ncabrol.htm

Guillermo Chong Díaz
Expertise: Geology
Expedition Role: Project Deputy Principle Investigator (Chile)/Geology
Affiliation: Universidad Católica del Norte

Who I Am and What I Do

My name is Guillermo Chong Díaz and I am a Geologist.

Career Journey

Between 1966 up to 1974 I worked as geologist and Head Geologist in the Instituto de Investigaciones Geológicas (Chilean Geological Survey) in Antofagasta, northern Chile. From 1974 to current I am the Professor (Profesor Titular) in the Departamento de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile. I am also the consultant for Chilean and international Mining Companies. Finally I am also the Director of the University Geological Museum.

How did you get to where you are?

I studied at the Universidad de Chile to get the title of Geologist. Later in Technische Universitât Berlin to get my Ph.D.

What made you study science?

I studied Geology as a profession for my career. Later on, very short after I started my career, I understood that Geology offers many possibilities to understand, through research, and through many aspects of the papers we write in the Universedad. I also realized then that Science was the best way to improve my vision of the world in which I am living and to be able to contribute to improving the knowledge of many people.

Personal

I am Chilean. I am married with 4 Children.

Family, Hobbies, Interests, etc.

Wife. Four Children (34,32,30, 3 years old). Two grandchildren (girls, 4 and 2). I enjoy movies, especially those related to Nature and soccer.

Parting Words for Students or Teachers

Try to speak always with the truth and teach that it does not have an owner. Try to leave clean footsteps in life once you leave.

Robert Bruce Darling was born in Johnson City, TN on March 15, 1958. He received the B.S.E.E. (with highest honors), M.S.E.E., and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1980, 1982, and 1985, respectively.

He has held Summer positions with Sperry-Univac, Bristol, TN, and Texas Instruments, Johnson City, TN, and from 1982 to 1983, he was with the Physical Sciences Division of the Georgia Tech Research Institute, Atlanta, GA. In 1985, he joined the Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, as an Assistant Professor. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 1990 and to Full Professor in 1999. From 1995 to 1996, he was a Visiting Associate Professor at Stanford University, Stanford, CA. Currently, he is also an Adjunct Professor of Bioengineering and Director of the Electrical Engineering Micro-Fabrication Laboratory and the Center for Applied Microtechnology. His research interests include electron device physics, device modeling, microfabrication, circuit design, optoelectronics, sensors, electrochemistry, and instrumentation electronics. Three small companies have been launched from technologies developed in his research group at the University of Washington.

Dr. Darling is a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, a member of the American Physical Society, the American Vacuum Society, the Optical Society of America, and is a registered Professional Engineer in the state of Washington. He presently serves as a member of the Defense Sciences Research Council which advises the DSO and MTO offices of DARPA. Over Winter and Spring of 2003, he served as a forensic investigator for the space shuttle orbiter Columbia accident. Since September of 2003, he has been the Acting Chair of the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Washington.

He spends most of his free time hiking and scrambling throughout the mountain ranges of the world. He has hiked, climbed, or scrambled over 140 named peaks in the Washington Cascades, California Sierras, Rockies, Appalachians, Alaska Range, and European Alps. He has backpacked over 800 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, he has hiked across England coast-to-coast twice, and he has hiked over 350 miles of the Swiss and Italian Alps. He is also experienced at vertical caving, scuba diving, and technical mountaineering.

http://www.ee.washington.edu/people/faculty/
darling/eefacrbd/index.htm

Victor Gaete Angel

Who I Am and What I Do

I am Victor Gaete and I study Chemical Engineering at Universidad Catolica del Norte.

Expedition Role

My role in this expedition is to help with the logistics during the main ascent to the Volcano. In this expedition is involved a lot of scientific equipment and porters who will carry it to the summit. Although this is not a technical mountain, that amount of people makes the coordination very important to guaranty the safety of everyone.

Explain what you learned from last expedition year's expedition?

From my side, the logistic in this kind of expeditions is harder than a sport climbing expedition, because this expedition involves people working in the summit for 3 or more days and porters climbing every -long- day with scientific equipments. Keep the coordination in an expedition like this was a very interesting task, I learned a lot about the scientific job too! Its great to work along with so many scientists in a huge natural laboratory. Of course I hope to learn more in the next expedition.

Describe how you will use information from last year's expedition to perform experiments this year's mission?

Like Cristian, I don`t perform scientific experiments in this expedition, but I can look to my parners and, based in my experience in high altitude, know them better, their psychology, and with this, I believe that I can improve my job in the next expedition.

What made study science?

I study Chemical Engineering because it always seemed an area where is was possible to work with new things, and search for reliable methods of development that could produce a impact in the environment and to improve the actual processes of industrial work.

Family, hobbies, interest, etc.

I am one of three brothers in my family. My main activity, aside of studying, is to practice mountaineering, I also practice sport climbing, play guitar, bass and some piano.

Parting words for students and teachers?

Enjoy your youth and travel through the world, exploring it, exploring it all safely. To the teachers, encourage your students in their search for knowledge.

Brian Grigsby

Expertise: Science Education
Expedition Role: Educational/Public Outreach
Affiliation: ARISE / SCOE / Schreder Planetarium

Who I Am and What I Do

My Name is Brian Grigsby and I am the Educational and Public Outreach for the Licancabur Expedition. I am also the mentor educator for project ARISE (Advanced Rural Integrated Science Education), and the director of the Schreder Planetarium. I have lived in Redding, California nearly all my life, with the exception of traveling away to go to college. I find it a joy to come back and work in the community with the people that helped give me the spark for science in the first place.

Expedition Role

Education and Public Outreach. It will be my responsibility to document for the educational community the work being conducted by the scientists in the field. Along with Rick Fitzpatrick (the other EPO coordinator), we will upload pictures, daily journals, video clips, questions from students, as well as many audio clips from the field. Before, during and after the expedition, we will promote what the scientific work is being done, and educate students, about the implications of studying life in extreme environments.

What did you learn from last year's expedition

Last year was my first experience out of the country for such a long period of time. My personal experiences with the expedition I believe changed me forever. The people I met, and countries I visited, left a lasting impression that I will never forget. I came to know each of the researchers in an environment that was extreme at times. My knowledge of what scientists do in the field, and how they research has been completely transformed because of last year's expedition. I look at pure research and field work in a way that generates great respect for those that push the limits of our knowledge today, to understand what the future holds.

How will you use information from last year's expedition to perform experiments for this year's mission?

This year, the website has a whole new feel and look. Although no "experiments" will be conducted on the website (other than those associated with classroom projects), my hope is to make the website much more multimedia oriented, with video clips, audio clips, and webcasts during our time in the field.

Career Journey

A month after I received my teaching credential I was hired on full time as a high school science teacher at a local high school, Shasta High School (my alma mater). During that time, I was selected to join other teachers down at the Jet Propulsion Lab to be a part of NSTA (National Science Teacher Association) and NASA's NEWMAST program. That was an amazing time, with so many other educators with similar interests, enjoying astronomy. I was able to see activities and equipment I had only read about. This really secured my feeling that astronomy and especially space science was for me. After teaching high school science for 8 years, I was asked to come over and develop the educational programs through the Schreder Planetarium. I jumped at the chance. This was a place that made an great impression on me. I was thrilled. Now, through this same facility, I am able to inspire, and educate a new generation of space scientists.

Growing Up

I was born and raised in Redding, California. My family (blood and extended) also live in Redding, and I am fortunate enough to have them here.

What made you study science?

Even before I was able to walk, my mom placed me and my twin brother in front of the television to watch the Apollo missions. The year was 1969, and man had just set foot on another world, the moon. I'm not sure if that was the very first experience with science, but it sure seems like it. Throughout my childhood, I enjoyed finding out what made things work. From clock radios, to old television sets, I was constantly dismantling things. I even managed to dismantle my crib when I was little! But that curiosity drove me to continue to try to understand how things worked to the point I am today, still wondering what makes things work, but now with a little more science to back it up!

Family, Hobbies, Interests, etc.

I have a wonderful wife, Debbie and 3 heaven-sent daughters. My wife and I have been married for 10 years now, and our children are: Kathleen, age 9, Hannah age 5 and Caroline, age 2. It is always exciting around our house, with 1 dog, 1 cat, 2 rats and dozens of Barbie dolls. But I enjoy being taken care of and pampered by my children. I am living the life of a king! My main hobby is woodworking. I love the smell of fresh wood after it has been cut, and then being able to sculpt anything you want out of a plain piece of lumber. Any chance I get, I love to go out and observe the beauty of the nighttime sky. You never know what might be waiting out there for you to observe it!

Parting Words for Students or Teachers

It is very important to never give up, no matter what the topic or situation. There have been times myself that I have wanted to quit and move on to something easier, but I have found that struggles and failures are a part of growing as a person. Many persons throughout history have faced struggles, and failures, but if they gave up, we would be living in a different world! Never underestimate yourself and your potential. Its not about how much you know that counts, its what you do with that knowledge. The following is one of my favorite quotes:

Many of life's failures
are people who did not realize
how close they were to success
when they gave up.

Thomas Edison

Edmond Grin "Ed"

Expertise: Planetary Geologist
Expedition Role: Deputy Principle Investigator/Bathymetry
Affiliation: NASA Ames / SETI Institute

Who I Am and What I Do

I am a research scientist at NASA Ames Research Center, which is the Center of Excellence for the search for the origin of Life on Earth and other planets. The goal of my research is to reconstruct the past water activity on Mars through the analysis of images of landscapes that have been modified by ancient streams. I compare the martian dry valleys with the valleys and lakes we see on Earth to understand how these valleys and lakes were formed and how they have evolved through time. The dry landscape of Mars is to day similar to what could has been the surface of Earth when we believe that the first organisms have funded the chain of life in environment of liquid water. To give a few light on our way to search the origin of life in primitive environment on Earth and may be on Mars, we are exploring one of the best environmental analog on Earth to Mars : that are is the goal of the Licancabur expeditions. The Licancabur environment. Why? The most high lakes on Earth are today under extreme environmental conditions that could be similar to early Earth and present Mars when life may have start. Licancabur's environment provides us an unique experimental site to study the effects of UV radiation on primitive microorganisms and what is the survival strategy developed by the microorganisms. More than 12 experimental gazer stations for living organisms have been installed on the shallow water on the shorelines lakes and are now operating during these last two years. Each station includes an UV filtering gazer chamber and an UV transmitting gazer chamber in order to compare their respectives biomas. The result of the harvest of biomas where of high interest and promising. The experiment will be extended for a third year. The UV radiation is measured by an autonomous network of dosimeters and also the physics of the water during the experiment

A Few Words for Our Kids

My mother has taught me that studying was the best natural food for life We can master our imagination and dreams to make them become reality. The secret to progress is the curiosity that leads us to test what we believe is the reality of the world. The privilege of a scientist is to doubt. This is why we are seekers of nature'secrets on Earth and beyond. Kids of all ages ask questions even if they have no answer now.

Andy Hock

Expertise: Geophysics/Space Physics
Expedition Role: Physics of Environment
Affiliation: UCLA

Who I Am and what I Do

My name is Andy Hock and I am a third-year graduate student en route to a Ph.D. in Geophysics and Space Physics from the University of California, Los Angeles Department of Earth and Space Sciences. I use geophysics to study aqueous environments on Earth and Mars in an effort to better understand their ability to support biological communities. In particular, I am interested in the habitability and longevity of heated lake environments on Mars and targeting astrobiology missions to the red planet. I was recently awarded a NASA Graduate Student fellowship, which provides support for my participation in the Licancabur expedition as well as my collaboration between UCLA and NASA Ames Research Center for my thesis research.

Explain what you learned from last year's expedition.

During the 2002 Licancabur Expedition, we first noticed that the area around the refuge and Lagunas are geothermally active; which means that the volcano is still providing heat to the environment. One effect of this geothermal activity is the hot spring ('Thermales') that we were lucky enough to study and relax in. The Lagunas ('Blanca' and 'Verde') also provided very interesting study. Laguna Blanca is a large, shallow basin, which provides food for the local flamingo population, while Laguna Verde is deep and has high concentrations of Arsenic. Both lakes are cold and much saltier than seawater.

Upon arrival at the summit, we found the crater lake cold (but not ice-covered) but with a much lower salt content. Its pH is slightly basic, and it hosts a diverse population of microorganisms. The results from my task in 2002 suggest that the lake's presence and relative warmth may be explained by a volcanic source; in 2003, we will investigate this and other hypotheses more fully.

Describe how you will use information from last year's expedition to perform experiments for this year's mission.

In addition to performing reconnaissance for other high lakes and general mission support, the Geophysics Task has the following objectives for the 2003 Licancabur Expedition:

• gather environmental and meteorological data to quantify the analogy between this site and ancient lake environments on Mars;

• provide a physical explanation for the anomalous warmth of the lake waters.

We will collect data from instruments deployed in 2002, water samples for chemical analysis, and in situ data to investigate the hypotheses that the summit lake a) has saline deep waters warmed by solar heating or b) is heated by a volcanic source. An additional objective of this task is to characterize environmental constraints on life in the lake, and provide context for the study of the survival strategies it may employ.

Career Journey

My career technically began in Ohio, where I grew up with my mother, father, two brothers, and more than enough dogs. I think my interest in science began with my parents' fostering and a love of airplanes-I remember my dreams of learning how to fly and understanding more about aerodynamics. From there, my interest in the space program was an easy transition: as soon as I figured out that you could go faster and farther and actually study other worlds, I was hooked. I left for New England after High School in Worthington, Ohio with a passion for science and attended Colgate University in Hamilton, New York.

How did you get to where you are?

I was initially torn between the study of medicine and astrophysics. After my first year, I did research on pediatric pneumonia at a hospital in Ohio. I had a wonderful experience, expanded my interest in biology, but learned that practicing medicine in a clinical setting wasn't for me. In a further attempt to discover a fusion between astrophysics and the life sciences, I found NASA's Astrobiology website, learned as much as I could and began working. Through the course of time and several research endeavors (Quasar Variability - Colgate, Convection and Lightning on Jupiter - Cornell, Underwater Ecology - University of New Hampshire, Asteroid Rotation - Colgate, Biogeography of Hydrothermal Vent Worms - Colgate) I graduated with a major in Astronomy-Physics and a minor in Biology, focusing on planetary science and molecular evolution.

Hobbies, Interests, etc.

Outside of the academic arena, I enjoy hiking and camping, sports, and traveling; I grew up hiking around the Midwest, and since then have taken my backcountry adventures across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. I rowed competitively in college, and much of my spare time in Los Angeles is taken up coaching for one of the finest high school rowing programs in the nation at the Marina Aquatic Center. I also have a passion-as do many of you-for seeking out new experiences and new places. My travels abroad have taken me across Europe and through parts of Egypt, Israel, and Jordan. Next on the list, after an amazing adventure exploring the world's highest lake in Chile, is Turkey or Thailand.

Parting Words or Advice

If I were to impart any advice upon students, it would be to remain in touch with your individual passions and follow wherever they lead. Additionally, whether your interest is in business, sports, science, or something out of this world, higher education will provide you the leverage to grab on to an amazing opportunity when the time comes. Experience the world around.

Gloria Hovde

Expedition Role: Team Logistics
Affiliation: NASA Ames/SETI Institute

Who Am I and What Do I Do

I am Research Assistant for Dr. Nathalie Cabrol, Principal Science Lead for the Licancabur Team Expedition. I'm employed by the SETI Institute and feel very privileged to be part of this exciting project.

Expedition Role

My main responsibility is to manage the logistics for the trip. This means making sure everyone going up to Licancabur has transportation, a place to stay and enough food to eat. I work with our Chilean colleagues to ensure all of the science equipment arrives on time and support Dr. Cabrol and her team with whatever is needed.

What Made You Study Science?

I have always been fascinated by astronomy and the search for life on other planets. Most of my career though has been in aviation. Seven years ago I completed a major and very exciting, life change. After working 18 years as an airline mechanic for United Air Lines, I discovered my life's calling and enrolled in the Master of Science program in Space Studies at the University of North Dakota. This mid-life detour led to NASA and eventually to my current position working on the Licancabur Expedition team. I've supported other projects at NASA including a Telerobotics course over the Internet and the 1999 Marsokhod Rover Field Experiment in the Silverlake area near Baker, California.

Family, Hobbies, Interests, etc.

My partner Anne is a mortgage underwriter and learning to play the saxophone. We both love animals and have two dogs and four cats. I'm also part of a very close community of friends who have been like an extended family for over 30 years. I love to work out at the gym, jog, ride my bike and hike in scenic places. Music and movies are also a very important part of my life. The greatest joy however, is being with people I care about, sharing laughter, good food and conversation.

Parting Words for Students and Teachers

There is no single course in life, but many paths that connect in unforeseen, and amazing ways. Be open to what your path offers and appreciate all that life has given you.

Gregory Kovacs

Expertise: Medical and Scientific Instruments, Circuit Design, Physiology
Affiliation: NASA Ames/Stanford University

Who I Am and What I Do

I am an enthusiastic generalist, with training in electrical engineering, biomedical engineering, and medicine. I am fascinated by the overlaps and synergies between engineering and life sciences, and this drove most of my educational choices. I began studying electrical engineering in Vancouver, Canada, where I grew up. At the same time, I took the "pre-med" courses in biology offered at the University of British Columbia, and greatly enjoyed them. During those undergrad years, we started a few companies and did a lot of consulting as a way of paying for school, with the added bonus of learning the art of building useful electronic instruments. I then went to Berkeley to study bioengineering, and obtained an M.S. degree there. From there, the next move was to medical school at Stanford, which was a fantastic experience. To satisfy my desire to delve deeper into the more nerdy aspects of engineering, I simultaneously began the PhD program in electrical engineering. While initially intending to continue down the medical career path, I was offered a faculty position in electrical engineering at Stanford and decided to try it for a few years (while my then recently completed medical boards results were still valid). The rest is history. I loved the teaching and research, and still do. I have been a professor at Stanford since 1991, am Director of Medical Device Technologies for the Astrobionics Program and NASA Ames Research Center, and Principal Investigator for the NASA/Stanford National Center for Space Biological Technologies.

Philosophically, I believe the really good stuff is at the intersection of traditional disciplines. When enough is discovered in these "between the cracks" areas, new disciplines end up emerging. In this way, electrical engineering emerged from physics, molecular biology emerged from Darwinian biology and chemistry, and so on. I absolutely love the feeling of applying engineering principles to biology and medicine, and vice versa, all with the goal of doing something that is meaningful and useful. In my laboratory at Stanford we design instruments for monitoring life processes from molecules through humans. We strive to address practical problems, and have worked on projects to detect heavy metal contamination in groundwater, to detect environmental and deliberately released toxins, to discover new pharmaceutical agents, to monitor the vital signs of astronauts and first responders, and to develop miniaturized biological science payloads for spaceflight.

I am a private pilot, scuba diver, and outdoors enthusiast. I have been active in fieldwork, including participation in an expedition to locate and document downed WW II aircraft in the South Pacific (scuba and land exploration), several mountain climbs to test NASA wearable physiologic monitors, a series of zero-g flight physiologic experiments aboard the NASA KC-135, and a desert field test of a biological toxin detection system with the United States Marine Corps.

I have also been active in the commercial world, having co-founded several companies including Cepheid in Sunnyvale, CA. This latest venture has grown into a leading provider of instrumentation for molecular diagnosis of disease.

For more than four months following the Columbia accident this year, I served as Investigation Scientist for the debris team of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board. I worked at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying out physical, x-ray, chemical and other analyses on the nearly 90,000 pounds of recovered debris. This sad but fascinating job had the goal of trying to understand the nature of the disaster and learn what we could about the cause and how to prevent similar problems in the future.

Expedition Role

On the 2003 expedition, I tested our NASA/Stanford CPOD wearable medical monitoring systems, carried out a direct satellite link to transmit live vital signs from the Licancabur crater site back to NASA Ames, monitored the status of the dive team, and generally assisted Dr. Cabrol and the team with a variety of technical and scientific matters including communications and photography. On the 2004 expedition, I am leading a technical, medical and physiologic team who will carry out a variety of physiologic experiments, monitor the medical status of team members, provide data connectivity to NASA/Stanford, deliver adequate power for the expedition, and provide safety services.

What made you study science?

When I was growing up, I was always curious about everything. Everything I could open and disassemble was opened and disassembled. I had an insatiable desire to learn about living things, mechanisms, chemistry, electronics, computers (such as they were back then) and so on. So, it was curiosity that drove my study of science, engineering and medicine.

Combining this with a love of exploration and the outdoors leads to wonderful opportunities like the current expedition.

Family, Hobbies, Interests, etc.

I am married to Laurel Joyce, from the Pittsburgh, PA area, and we have two sons, Reid and Clark. We also have a black Labrador retriever and numerous fish and invertebrates. The boys have the curiosity too, and already want to look in, under, and inside everything. They also love wandering outdoors looking for bugs, berries, rocks, and such.

In my spare time (not much, unfortunately), I enjoy my hobbies of hiking, climbing and flying, restoring old scientific instruments, cooking, exercising to stay fit (and burn off the calories from the cooking), and tinkering with anything with an on/off switch.

Parting Words for Students and Teachers

Being a student is one of the very best periods in life. It may not be apparent at the time, but trust me, through your actions in and away from the classroom, you will shape your future. Most important, I think, is not to shy away from math and science. They are, most folks think, "harder," but really it is just a matter of learning some skills that take an initial investment of concentration and time, but repay that many fold over life. In other words, don't cut yourself short by opting out of courses like biology, chemistry, physics and math. They are worth every bit of the head scratching and study.

One more thought - stay fit. It would be a real shame to be a smart dead person, so try to work out a bit... Just a thought.

Robert Morris

Expedition Role: Logistics Camp 1/Mountain
Affiliation: NASA Ames/SETI Institute

Who I Am and What I Do

Well, I'm actually a software engineer specializing in computer vision and image processing, so my day to day work is not directly related to the objectives of this expedition. One of the great things about working at NASA is the opportunity to get involved in a wide range of interesting projects. No job is perfect, of course, but I definitely appreciate my situation here!

As a software engineer, my job involves designing and implementing computer algorithms and software systems. The focus of my work has been on algorithms and systems that will enable robots sent to distant planets (e.g., Mars) to visually interpret the geology of their environments. Taking a picture is only the first step. The hard part is translating that picture into words or symbols that can be used in support of other tasks, such as deciding that a particular rock or terrain feature is worthy of closer examination. Ultimately, the goal is to build more self-sufficient robots that can explore planet surfaces and report back only the most interesting information for scientists to study on Earth.

Expedition Role

I will play primarily a supporting role in the expedition, which will involve helping with logistics and safety on the mountain, collecting samples and data for scientific analysis, and being a subject for tests of new physiological monitoring equipment.

What made you study science?

My first reaction is to say that I was drawn to science and engineering partly by an innate curiosity and partly through a desire to be challenged.

Originally I had planned to study music, but developed enough of an interest in physics to change majors midway through college. I wasn't a very good student in those days, but the challenge of studying physics and mathematics got me motivated and whipped me into shape pretty quickly. Through the physics department, I had the opportunity to spend summers doing research in planetary science, which reignited the interest in space exploration that I'd had as a child.

Although I soon realized that a career as a planetary scientist was not for me, the exposure I'd had to computers and image processing led to an interest in computer vision. I obtained a Master's degree in electrical engineering, with emphasis on image processing and pattern recognition. At that point, my hope was to eventually apply what I had learned to robotic space exploration. Imagine my surprise when, by chance, I met someone who offered me a job doing exactly that!

Family, Hobbies, Interests, etc.

Aside from computer vision, my hobbies and interests include mountaineering, guitar, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, diving, and snowboarding. In general I love the outdoors and the adventures that come with exploring new and hard to reach places. Most important to me is maintaining the contrast between intellectual and physical challenges in my life.

Parting Words for Students and Teachers

Be open to new experiences, discover your passions (they may change during the course of your life), and pursue them. I know I probably sound like some kind of self-help guru, but I really do believe this is solid advice.

Carsten Mundt

Research Interests: Most of my research projects are related to space flight. I work both at NASA Ames and Stanford University, and I greatly enjoy both environments. For the past 5 years, my main focus has been the development of vital signs monitors for astronauts. My main project at this time is LifeGuard, centered around the CPOD, a wearable device that astronauts wear to record and wirelessly transmit their heart rate, blood pressure, ECG, activity, and other parameters. I've also been working on small satellites that fly biological payloads to study small organisms and cells under conditions of microgravity and space radiation. Other areas I've been involved in are biotelemetry, biomedical and electrochemical sensors, and data acquisition. What I like most about my job is that it gives me the ability to be creative, to take an idea, implement it in physical reality, and then watch it benefit other people. In the case of our LifeGuard project this benefit is nothing less than potentially saving lives. It feels great being so directly involved in making a difference in the world.

Education:   Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, North Carolina State University, NC, 1997
MS in Electrical Engineering, Technical University of Dresden, Germany, 1994

Work Experience:

2001 to present - Senior Design Engineer, Stanford University - Design and development of wireless embedded systems for medical, environmental and space environments including portable and wearable embedded data acquisition platforms, sensor interfaces for environmental and medical applications, hardware and firmware for free-flyer satellites with biological payloads.

1999 to 2001 - R&D Engineer, Lockheed Martin Space Operations, NASA Ames - Developed biosensors, biotelemetry devices, and physiological monitoring devices for applications in space and medicine as well as data acquisition and analysis software for life science experiments.

1997 to 1999 - R&D Engineer, Sverdrup Technology, Inc., NASA Ames: Designed, built, and tested microsensors, biotelemetry devices, and instrumentation hardware and software for space flight and medical applications.

What I like to do when I'm not working: spending time with my family and friends, surfing, camping, hiking, fishing, working out, practicing Tai Chi, reading Wired and Discover magazines, analyzing financial markets, taking things apart, fixing things, drinking Guinness, eating Pizookies, listening to music, stargazing, meditating, dreaming.

What I don't like: unfinished projects, large Power Point files, html email, Apple "computers".

http://biocomp.stanford.edu/people/carsten/

Scott Edward Parazynski, M.D.

Scott was born in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1961, and has been on the move ever since. His father worked on the Apollo Program that led to the first lunar landings, and due to his work with the Boeing Company Scott grew up in many different places: New Orleans, LA; Washington, D.C.; Dakar, Senegal; Beirut, Lebanon; Tehran, Iran; and Athens, Greece. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology from Stanford University in 1983, continuing on to receive his M.D. with honors at Stanford Medical School in 1989. He served his medical internship at the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, MA, and completed 22 months of residency training in emergency medicine in
Denver, CO, prior to being selected as a NASA Astronaut.

He has flown in space four times, logging roughly six weeks or 17 million miles of zero-G time, and nearly 20 hours of Extravehicular Activity (EVA): STS-66 (a global ozone mapping mission) in 1994, STS-86 to the Russian Space Station Mir in 1997, STS-95 (a life sciences-focussed mission, including Senator John Glenn) in 1998, and STS-100 to the International Space Station in 2001. He is currently assigned to STS-118 as lead EVA crewmember, scheduled to launch in late 2006. Since the Space Shuttle Columbia accident, he has been heavily involved in developing EVA inspection and repair techniques for the Space Shuttle thermal protection system, should the Shuttle become damaged in a similar fashion.

He is on the adjunct faculty of Stanford University and the University of Texas Medical Branch, and serves on the scientific advisory board of the NASA/Stanford National Center for Space Biological Technologies. His research interests include human adaptation to stressful environments, exercise countermeasures and the use of novel technologies to address biomedically significant problems.

Scott spends his free time with his energetic family and pursuing several hobbies which include mountaineering, rock climbing, flying, woodworking, nature photography, antique car restoration and SCUBA diving. As a mountaineer, his summits include Cerro Aconcagua (at 22,841 feet above sea level, the tallest mountain in the world outside of Asia) and 48 of Colorado's peaks over 14,000 feet in altitude. A commercial, multi-engine, seaplane and instrument-rated pilot, he has logged over 2000 flight hours in a variety of aircraft.

Lynn J. Rothschild

Dr. Lynn J. Rothschild, an evolutionary biologist at NASA's Ames Research Center, is immersed in the field of Astrobiology. She has broad training in biology, with degrees from Yale University, Indiana University, and Brown University. At NASA her research has focused on how life has evolved in the context of the physical environment, both here and potentially elsewhere. She has co-edited a book on the subject entitled, "Evolution on Planet Earth: The Impact of the Physical Environment" (Academic Press, 2003). Rothschild has studied carbon metabolism and DNA damage and repair in the laboratory setting and on algal mats, work that has taken her to field sites in Baja, Yellowstone National Park and thermal areas on New Zealand, and hopefully some day to Mars. As a result of this work she has become an acknowledged authority in the study of extremophiles, and wrote a critical review on them for Nature (2001). Recent honors have included election to the Presidency of the Society of Protozoologists, and as a fellow to the Linnean Society of London, the California Academy of Sciences and the Explorer's Club. She is a founding editor of the International Journal of Astrobiology. In the last few years she has made several television and radio appearances, including on the Discovery Channel and ABC World News Tonight, and lectures worldwide, most recently in the Vatican, Windsor Castle and Japan.

Stephen Ruoss, M.D.

Dr. Stephen Ruoss is an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine. Dr. Ruoss received his BS degree in Cellular Biology, as well as his MD degree, from the University of Washington. He was a resident in Medicine at the Boston VA Medical Center, and then completed his fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. He was an Instructor in Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco for two years, and has since 1993 been on he faculty at Stanford University. He is currently the Co-Chief of Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine.

Dr. Ruoss' administrative responsibilities include an active appointment to the Stanford's Administrative Panel on Human Subjects in Medical Research (the IRB Panel for Stanford University). He also serves as the Medical Director of the Stanford Medical Center Transfer Center, which is responsible for the screening, coordination and administration of all patient transfers to Stanford Medical Center.

Dr. Ruoss has extensive clinical and teaching responsibilities in the Stanford University School of Medicine. His clinical responsibilities include faculty attending physician and teaching duty in Stanford Medical Center Intensive Care Units, as well as on the pulmonary consultation service. The principal focus of research activities of Dr. Ruoss centers on the study of pulmonary mycobacterial infections. This research focuses on infections by mycobacteria other than the Mycobactrium tuberculosis, and addresses issues of disease susceptibility as well as improving treatment of these infections.

Dr. Ruoss has research experience as well as extensive field experience in high altitude medicine. He has conducted research into the susceptibility of individuals to develop acute altitude-related medical problems, including high altitude pulmonary edema and acute mountain sickness. He is currently participating in a collaborative project in studying susceptibility to acute mountain sickness.. He is also currently co-editing a textbook examining pulmonary function in extreme environments, including high altitude conditions. Dr. Ruoss also has approximately 35 years of climbing experience, including extensive experience in high-altitude alpine climbing. He has climbed extensively throughout North America, Europe and the Himalaya.

Mayel Sunagua

Name: Mayel Sunagua Choir
Engineer Geologist

I am employed at the National Service of Geology and Mining in Bolivia. My participation in the 2004 Licancabur expedition has been unforgettable. It gave me an opportunity to be part of a team.

Judith L. Swain, M.D.

Dr. Judith L. Swain is the Arthur L. Bloomfield Professor of Medicine and Chair, Department of Medicine, and the George E. Becker Professor at Stanford University. Dr. Swain came to Stanford in December, 1996 from the University of Pennsylvania where she was the Herbert C. Rorer Professor of Medical Sciences, Professor of Genetics, and Director of Cardiovascular Medicine. Dr. Swain received her undergraduate education at the University of California, Los Angeles, and her medical education at the University of California, San Diego, before moving to Duke University to complete training in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Medicine. She then joined the faculty at Duke where she became widely known in the field of molecular cardiology, and pioneered the use of transgenic animals to understand the genetic basis of cardiovascular development and disease. She held continuous research funding from the NIH for over 20 years, including an NIH M.E.R.I.T Award for her work on the developmental biology of the cardiovascular system. Her current research interests are centered on the regulation of vascular growth, and on assessing and enhancing human performance. She is currently Co-Director of the NASA National Center for Space Biological Technologies, on biologic measurements in space. She is also a practicing cardiologist.

Dr. Swain has served in a number of national leadership roles, including president of the American Society for Clinical Investigation and Director of the US/Russia Cardiovascular Biology Program at the NIH. She has served on the NIH Director's Standing Committee on Clinical Research, the NIH National Advisory Research Resources Council; the strategic planning committees for the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the National Research Resources Council; and the NRC Commission to evaluate the organization of the National Institutes of Health.

She has served as a member of the NRC Committee on Space Biology and Medicine of the Space Studies Board, and the Technology Summer Study Panel of the Defense Science Board. She currently serves as a member of the Defense Science Research Council of the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA). Dr. Swain has also served on international advisory committees including the International Advisory Committees of the Wellcome Trust, British Heart Association, and UK Medical Research Council. She currently serves on the International Advisory Panel for Graduate Education of the Singapore Agency for Science, Technology and Research, and was recently appointed as a Director of the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM).

She has served in leadership roles in non-profit organizations including the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology, and the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, and on the Scientific Advisory Boards of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and the Pasarow Foundation. Dr. Swain serves as a member of the scientific advisory boards for a number of companies including Glaxo Smith Kline (Cardiovascular SAB), Synecor, LLC (co-founder), Biospect, Alliance Pharmaceutical, Avacor, and iMetrikus.

Dr. Swain has been elected to a number of honorary societies including the Association of American Physicians, the American Society for Clinical Investigation, the Association of University Cardiologists, the American Clinical and Climatological Society, and the Institute of Medicine.

Cristian Tambley

Expertise: Information systems / Mountaineering
Affiliation: CHEP Chile (http://www.chep.com>http://www.chep.com)

Who I Am and What I Do?

My name is Cristian Tambley and I am a Computers and Systems Engineer. I am actually working for CHEP, a huge logistics company where I develop and support information systems.

Expedition Role

I am invited this third year again to join the project in charge of the "on field" logistics. This means to organize all the needs for all the people (Spanish and English speakers) that will stay, work and climb in the Licancabur volcano and the surrounding areas.

Explain what you learned from last year's expedition.

What I learned? A lot! I have organized sport mountain climbing expeditions several times, but these two have been quite different because the goal is scientific. Just think, the needs of about 20 people who will stay and work in an extreme environment as the Licancabur area: nutrition, altitude, temperature, inherent danger while climbing, altitude psychology and difficulties of working with people with different languages.

Describe how you will use information from last year's expedition to perform experiments for this year's mission.

Although I will not perform scientific experiments, I will use the whole experience of the last two years' expeditions on this occasion. Once again, the challenge is bigger than the past year: about 20 people on the base camp at 4300 meters high and about 15 of them will go up to the summit at almost 6000 meters high by four or five days with all the equipment, tools and instruments. We have to eat, sleep, work and swim!! in really hard conditions: about -30ºC with winds of 60 km/h. The only way to do this is working as a team of friends with a happy and safe attitude.

What made you study science?

Although Computer Engineering can be not considered very scientific, you can do a lot of work together with the scientists. I always wanted to know more about everything, so I began to research technology very young. I like computers and challenges, so I will go soon for my post degrees. To travel and to watch quality television is always a source of information, and it can help you to open your mind. For me, watching and reading about astronauts and spaceships is enough to keep a childhood dream alive for many years.

Family, Hobbies, Interests, etc.

I practice a lot of sports: mountain bike, kayak, and mountaineering. I love to be surrounded by nature. I also like robotics and electronics. These are hobbies now, but I want to make a career in these areas.

Parting Words for Students and Teachers

Keep your childhood dreams alive, study, research and work to make these dreams come true. There are multiple ways, that you can't even imagine, to make these happen.