and Evolution of the Solar System
Leadership Team
Nicholas Schmerr
Principal InvestigatorNick is an Associate Professor at the University of Maryland College Park and a planetary geophysicist and seismologist. He uses geophysics to study the internal structure of both Earth and other worlds of our Solar System, with the goal of improving our understanding of how these objects formed, evolved, and to determine the current activity and state of their interiors. Nick is responsible for the management and administration of the GEODES project, and is a member of all four theme topics.
Jacob Richardson
Deputy Principal InvestigatorTheme Lead - Magma-Tectonic Systems
Jacob is an Assistant Research Scientist at the University of Maryland College Park and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. Jacob is a planetary volcanologist who models the timing of volcanism on rocky planets and how lava flows are emplaced and evolve.
Rebecca Ghent
Theme Lead - Regolith Structure and CompositionBecky is a Senior Scientist with the Planetary Science Institute. She is interested in geological processes on all planets. She also enjoys living on Earth, and spends her time being outdoors in Portland, OR.
Matt Siegler
Theme Lead - Ice DepositsMatt is a Research Scientist with the Planetary Science Institute. He studies ice in unexpected places: the Moon and Mercury. He also studies ice on Mars. He is currently working on understanding and modeling the thermal stability of ice in the inner solar system.
Patrick Whelley
Theme Lead - Lava Tubes and Void SpacesFieldwork Logistics Lead
Patrick is a Research Scientist at the University of Maryland College Park and at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. Patrick is a planetary geologist and volcanologist. Patrick manages the GEODES field expeditions to the western United States.
Ernest Bell
Theme Lead - Exploration
Molly Wasser
Public Engagement LeadMolly is the Digital Media Lead for the Solar System Exploration Division at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and ADNET Systems. She shares planetary science with the public through social media, websites, and in-person events (when possible).
GEODES Co-Investigators
Lava Tubes and Voids, Magma-tectonics
Chief Exploration Scientist, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Lava Tubes and Voids
Structural Geologist, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Debra Buczkowski
Co-InvestigatorDebra Buczkowski is a research scientist at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. She is a structural geologist and geologic mapper who has analyzed the morphology and kinematics of graben and linear structures on multiple rocky bodies in the Solar System, including, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Eros, Vesta and Ceres.
Lynn Carter
Co-Investigator
Charles Connor
Co-Investigator
Laura Connor
Co-Investigator
Matt Fouch
Co-InvestigatorI'm seismologist with deep roots in fieldwork, seismic data analysis, data management, and instrument development. I'm co-founder and Chief Scientist for Samara/Data, which provides a broad range of support (subject matter expertise, software development, project management) to a number of U.S. government agencies and industry partners to ensure a safer and more resilient nation. I'm excited to be part of the GEODES team and lend a hand on a number of the project Themes.
Sander Goossens
Co-InvestigatorIce Deposits, Magma-tectonics, Data Management
Radar Science, Archivist, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
David Hollibaugh Baker
Co-Investigator
Terry Hurford
Co-InvestigatorMagma-tectonics
Planetary Volcanologist, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Lauren Jozwiak
Co-InvestigatorLava Tubes and Voids, Ice Deposits, Regolith
Near-surface Geophysicist, University of South Florida
Sarah Kruse
Co-Investigator
Vedran Lekic
Co-Investigator
Laurent Montesi
Co-InvestigatorLava Tubes and Voids, Magma-tectonics
Hardware Development Engineer, NASA Johnson Space Center
Adam Naids
Co-Investigator
Ryan Porter
Co-Investigator
Derek Richardson
Co-InvestigatorDerek is a Professor of Astronomy at the University of Maryland. He uses numerical methods to model the formation of planets, the dynamics of planetary rings, the evolution of asteroids, and the behavior of granular materials in low gravity. He is a member of the Regolith theme as a GEODES Co-I and is also Co-I on the NASA DART mission.
Elise Rumpf
Co-Investigator
Norbert Schorghofer
Co-Investigator
Jessica Sunshine
Co-Investigator
Nicole Whelley
Co-InvestigatorIce Deposits, Lava Tubes and Voids
Structural Geologist, Southwest Research Institute
Danielle Wyrick
Co-Investigator
Kelsey Young
Co-InvestigatorKelsey is a Research Space Scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. Her research focuses on the integration of science into human exploration. She investigates the science questions, tools, instruments, and operational concepts for the exploration of other planetary surfaces.
Ice Deposits, Lava Tubes and Voids, Regolith
Experimental Geophysicist, University of Maryland
Wenlu Zhu
Co-InvestigatorGEODES Collaborators
Dave Akin
Collaborator
Caela Barry
Collaborator
David Coan
Collaborator
Barbara Cohen
Collaborator
Timothy Glotch
Collaborator
Amanda Hendrix
CollaboratorLava Tubes and Voids, Ice Deposits, Regolith, Magma-tectonics
Advanced Analyzer Labs, Inc.
Huapeng Huang
CollaboratorI am developing an in-situ X-ray TOMO-XRF system for planetary science under NASA SBIR support. This developing system will be used and evaluated during the Medicine Lake/Lava Beds field expedition in north California.
Harrison Lisabeth
CollaboratorHarry is a Research Scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. His expertise is in experimental rock deformation and rock physics with a focus on making measurements at conditions relevant to natural processes. His involvement with GEODES is primarily concerned with assessing the physical properties of lunar materials to aid in the interpretation of geophysical data.
Erwan Marzarico
Collaborator
Clive Neal
Collaborator
Mark Panning
Collaborator
Alex Parker
CollaboratorRegolith
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Project Scientist, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Noah Petro
Collaborator
Stephen Scheidt
CollaboratorStephen is a research scientist working with the University of Maryland and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Stephen is a field and planetary geologist with specialties in remote sensing, geospatial analysis and the application of small uncrewed aerial systems for image and geophysical measurements.
Lisa Schleicher
CollaboratorLisa is a geophysicist who works on a variety of topics related to understanding earthquake ground motions, active faulting, and landscape evolution on Earth, as well as Mercury and the Moon. She is currently working with the GEODES group on a lunar seismic hazard analysis and exploring possibilities for Earth-based planetary analog field studies such as geophysical experiments for visualizing fault structure to reduce uncertainties in seismic hazard.
Beck Strauss
Collaborator
Renee Weber
Collaborator
Shawn Wright
CollaboratorFor SSERVI TREX, Wright aims to compare analog rover data (collected in the field from several instruments) of fine-grained materials to their detailed geologic characterizations to better understand very fine-grained materials on planetary surfaces. For GEODES, Wright volunteered to help with field site selection in eastern Washington state.
GEODES Post-Doctoral Scientists
Sajad Jazayeri
Postdoc
Doyeon (DK) Kim
PostdocGEODES Graduate Students
Troy Berkey
Graduate StudentI am a Ph.D. student at the University of South Florida focusing on potential field modeling methods (magnetics and gravity) to visualize subsurface features associated with volcanic landforms, particularly fissure eruptions and their corresponding dikes and sills. My primary aim is to develop automated parameterization codes to increase the output reliability of potential field models developed at USF to identify, evaluate, and characterize these features on Earth and other planetary bodies.
John Coonan
Graduate StudentI have only just begun with my research, which is focused on modeling GPR propagation through lunar materials. I aim to use Earth analogues to improve the accuracy of predicted responses and increase our ability to determine subsurface geometries through GPR analysis of Earth's moon.
Joe DeMartini
Graduate StudentJoe is a graduate student at the University of Maryland, College Park. He uses the parallel, N-body gravity tree code PKDGRAV, developed in part by his adviser, Derek Richardson, to simulate regolith motion on low-gravity surfaces like asteroids and the Moon.
Naya Deykes
Graduate Student
Angelica Martinez
Graduate StudentI am a geophysics PhD student at Southern Methodist University studying the low-temperature thermal properties of lunar regolith. My work focuses on constraining the thermophysical parameters that influence volatile stability in near-polar craters, particularly those that contain permanently shadowed regions.
Cosmo Varah-Sikes
Graduate StudentI am an incoming graduate student at the University of Maryland College Park associated with the Department of Geology. My upcoming research will include the remote sensing of a compositionally unique lunar deposit in order to determine its petrologic origin.
Lava Tubes and Voids, Ice Deposits, Public Engagement
Southern Methodist University/Planetary Science Institute
Mackenzie White
Graduate StudentI am a PhD student in geophysics with Southern Methodist University/the Planetary Science Institute and currently a visiting graduate researcher at UCLA. My research focuses on planetary heat flow primarily on the Moon and Mars. I am on the NASA InSight and Mars 2020 Science Teams and involved in science communication.
