Issue 15-17, April 14, 2015
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- LAST CALL FOR DPS 2015 PRIZE NOMINATIONS!
- ANNOUNCING THE FIRST DPS HISTORIAN
- SMALL BODIES ASSESSMENT GROUP 13TH MEETING: EARLY CAREER TRAVEL SUPPORT AND AGENDA
- FORUM FOR NEW LEADERS IN SPACE SCIENCE
- JOBS/POSITIONS OPPORTUNITIES
- UPCOMING MEETINGS & WORKSHOPS
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LAST CALL FOR DPS 2015 PRIZE NOMINATIONS!
DEADLINE APRIL 15, 2015
Every year the DPS recognizes exceptional achievement in our field. It is time to consider nominating
a respected colleague for one of the annual DPS prizes:
The Gerard P. Kuiper Prize honors outstanding contributions to the field of planetary science.
The Harold C. Urey Prize recognizes outstanding achievement in planetary research by a young scientist.
The Harold Masursky Award acknowledges outstanding service to planetary science and exploration.
The Carl Sagan Medal recognizes and honors outstanding communication by an active planetary scientist
to the general public.
The Jonathan Eberhart Planetary Sciences Journalism Award recognizes and stimulates distinguished popular
writing on planetary sciences.
Detailed descriptions of each of the prizes and the criteria for nominees for each can be found at
prizes. The nomination form and instructions can also be retrieved from this website.
The completed nomination form and supporting material should be emailed to [email protected].
Anyone except current DPS Committee members may submit a nomination. A completed nomination
will be retained and considered by the Prize Subcommittee for three years, or as long as the nominee
is eligible, whichever is less. Past nominees may be re-nominated after the expiration of a prior nomination.
A posthumous nomination is allowed for a limited time after the nominee’s death, except for the Sagan Medal.
For specific details, see the URL noted above.
The deadline for nominations this year is April 15.
Consider for example the Carl Sagan Medal, which recognizes excellence in public communication in
planetary science. Do you have a colleague that excels in reaching out to the public, who has a particularly
effective way of communicating new findings in our field? We want to recognize those efforts that are so
important to the health of our field!
The Masursky Award recognizes meritorious service to planetary science. Do you have a colleague whose
efforts made a significant difference in the success of an endeavor you’ve been involved in through engineering,
managerial, programmatic or public service activities? Consider nominating that individual!
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ANNOUNCING THE FIRST DPS HISTORIAN
The DPS Committee is pleased to announce the appointment of Dale Cruikshank as the
Division’s first Historian. As a past DPS Chair, two-time Committee Member, and member
of the AAS since 1965, Dale will provide the corporate memory and transfer of heritage and
culture that will ensure the DPS’ position as the voice of Planetary Science.
Dale will serve for a five year term in this appointment.
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SMALL BODIES ASSESSMENT GROUP 13TH MEETING:
EARLY CAREER TRAVEL SUPPORT AND AGENDA
The 13th meeting of the Small Bodies Assessment Group (SBAG) will be held June 29 to midday
July 1, 2015, in Washington, DC. Logistical details are being finalized, but there are two timely
announcements below:
1. Early career travel support: We are pleased to be able to offer limited U.S. travel support for a
few early career scientists to participate in the SBAG 13 meeting. Interested graduate students,
postdocs, and other early career scientists (within 3 years of PhD/MS/BS) should e-mail a one-page
letter and a CV to Nancy Chabot ([email protected]) by April 24, 2015.
2. As we get the SBAG 13 agenda together, we’d like to give any team that submitted a
small-body-related Discovery mission proposal the opportunity to briefly share their submitted
concept with the community on June 30. Please pass this invitation along to any teams you were
involved with, and contact Nancy Chabot to be added to the agenda.
Also, both the Dawn and New Horizons teams have provided great slide sets, which are now
available on the SBAG website:
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/sbag/dawn_materials/
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/sbag/new_horizons/
As public interest continues to grow in these missions, please use these slides to share the
excitement with the public at any possible opportunity!
Nancy Chabot
SBAG Chair
[email protected]
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FORUM FOR NEW LEADERS IN SPACE SCIENCE
The Space Studies Board of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences’ National Research
Council and the National Space Science Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences invite
applications for the 2015–2016 Forum for New Leaders in Space Science.
The Forum’s 2015–2016 session will provide opportunities for a highly select group of
young Earth and planetary scientists from the United States and China to discuss their
research activities in an intimate and collegial environment at meetings to be held in
Shanghai, China (9–10 October 2015) and Irvine, California (16–17 May 2016).
The application deadline is 29 May 2015.
Details can be found at http://sites.nationalacademies.org/SSB/SSB_086017.
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JOBS/POSITIONS OPPORTUNITIES
A) ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR I: ARECIBO OBSERVATORY PLANETARY RADAR
Location: Arecibo, Puerto Rico, United States
Description:
USRA is seeking a full time Arecibo Observatory (AO) Head of Planetary
Radar to provide the leadership of the AO planetary radar group and
associated observatory operations funded by NASA. The duties also
include developing and implementing strategic initiatives as part of a
single Arecibo Management Team led by the Arecibo Observatory
Director.
Duties and Responsibilities:
* Provides day to day leadership to the scientific and technical staff
and employees in the radar group. Sets the tempo, provides direction
and develops a team that is oriented to action.
* Directs development of data taking hardware and software. Oversees
data archiving and routine analysis.
* Coordinates activities of the radar group with other observatory
programs.
* Conducts a vigorous personal scientific research program.
* Mentors students, post-docs, and junior scientific staff.
* Coordinates NASA requests for observations of objects with other
observatory activities.
* Represents the Arecibo Planetary Radar program in national and
international community forums.
All interested candidates must apply directly on our website at:
https://usracareers.silkroad.com/
USRA is an Equal Opportunity Employer Minorities/Females/Protected
Veterans/Disabled/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity
B) RESEARCH SCIENTIST (LAB MANAGER): CENTER FOR METEORITE STUDIES
Arizona State University
Center for Meteorite Studies/School of Earth and Space Exploration
The Center for Meteorite Studies (CMS) in the School of Earth and Space Exploration at
Arizona State University invites applications for a Research Scientist (Lab Manager) position.
The successful candidate will be responsible for the day-to-day operation and management of
the Isotope Cosmochemistry and Geochronology Laboratory, which includes a Thermo
Neptune MC-ICPMS (equipped with a Photon Machines excimer laser ablation system)
and an associated clean chemistry laboratory for ultra low-blank sample preparation.
The successful candidate will be expected to conduct independent research and to participate
in ongoing research in isotope cosmochemistry. Ongoing research projects include the
development of fine-scale radiometric chronometers and their application towards high
resolution chronology of early solar system and planetary processes; characterization of
mass dependent fractionation of the stable isotopes of a variety of elements to understand
nebular and planetary processes; characterization of non-mass dependent isotopic anomalies
to constrain nucleosynthetic inputs to the solar nebula.
For more information, please visit http://meteorites.asu.edu/job/4955
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UPCOMING MEETINGS & WORKSHOPS
A) EPSC 2015: MARS GEOMORPHOLOGY
Abstract submissions are now open for the European Planetary Science
Congress (EPSC) 2015, 27th September to 2nd October at La Cite des
Congres, Nantes, France. The deadline is 29 April 2015, 13:00 CET.
We cordially invite you to submit your abstracts to the session TP7
“Mars geomorphology in the late Amazonian epoch”. This session aims to
explore the recent and current (or even ongoing) surface processes on
Mars. Contributions are welcome concerning remote sensing, climate,
Earth-analogue, modelling and laboratory studies.
Abstract submission:
http://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EPSC2015/session/19631
Abstract guidelines:
http://www.epsc2015.eu/abstract_management
/how_to_submit_an_abstract.html
Kind regards,
Convener: Susan Conway and Co-Conveners: Andreas Johnsson, Jan Raack
and Richard Soare
B) HUMANS TO MARS SUMMIT
The Humans to Mars Summit (H2M) will take place May 5-7, 2015 on the
campus of The George Washington University in Washington, D.C.
Registration and the current agenda are available at the conference
website:
H2M will feature such speakers as –
Charles Bolden
Buzz Aldrin
Jim Green
Scott Hubbard
John Grunsfeld
Andrew Weir (Author of The Martian)
William Gerstenmaier
Emily Briere (Time Capsule to Mars)
Roberto Battiston (Italian Space Agency)
Rod Pyle (Author)
Melissa Trainer
Steve Jurczyk
Janet Ivey (Janet’s Planet)
Jim Garvin
Greg Olsen (Private Astronaut)
Adam Steltzner
Rebecca Keiser
and many, many more.
Follow the conference on social media via Explore Mars on Facebook:
http://facebook.com/exploremarsdotorg
and Twitter @exploremars with the hashtag: #H2M2015
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Send submissions to:
Anne Verbiscer, DPS Secretary ([email protected])
To unsubscribe visit http://aas.org/unsubscribe or email [email protected].
To change your address email [email protected].
—
Anne J. Verbiscer
Research Associate Professor
Department of Astronomy
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4325