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December 10 Lunch featuring Dr. James Garvin

December 10 @ 11:30 am 1:00 pm EST

Dr. James B. Garvin, PI DAVINCI Mission to Venus, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (Chief Scientist & Senior Fellow & 2024 Webby Awardee)

Dr. James B. Garvin is the NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Chief Scientist. He provides strategic advice and analysis on the scientific priorities and directions to the Center Director and senior leadership, as well as to NASA Headquarters. As a veteran Earth and planetary scientist within NASA in a career that has spanned more than 38 years, Dr. Garvin brings his experience with interdisciplinary science and instrumentation in helping to direct the scientific trajectory of the Center. Prior to coming to Goddard, Garvin served as the NASA Chief Scientist, advising three separate Administrators on issues ranging from science strategies associated with the Vision for Space Exploration to those involved in rebalancing the NASA science portfolio. In addition, Dr. Garvin served as the chief scientist for Mars exploration from 2000 until 2004 and spearheaded the development of the scientific strategy that led NASA to select such missions as the Mars Exploration Rovers, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, the Phoenix polar lander, and the Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity rover). He received two NASA Outstanding Leadership Medals for his work with the science behind the Mars Exploration Program. He is also the recipient of three Presidential Rank Awards for his contributions to science at NASA spanning his career.

During his career, he has been a Co-Investigator on the Mars Observer, Mars Global Surveyor, NEAR-Shoemaker, Radarsat-1,2/RCM, Mars Curiosity Rover, OSIRIS-REx, and ENVISAT missions. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed scientific articles and other popular articles about space exploration of Mars, Venus, and the Moon. Presently, he is Principal Investigator of the DAVINCI mission to Venus, slated for launch in June 2029, and the first in situ mission to Venus since 1985.

Dr. Garvin earned his Ph.D in the Geological Sciences from Brown University in 1984 under the mentorship of Professors J. W. Head III and T. A. Mutch. He also received an MS from Stanford University in Computer Sciences and a second MS from Brown in Planetary Geosciences. He graduated with highest honors from Brown University in 1978 and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. In 2005, he was awarded the prestigious William Rogers award recipient (Brown University) for his contributions to society as a graduate of Brown.

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