Issue 18-19, May 14, 2018
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- AAS DIVISION FOR PLANETARY SCIENCES 2018 PRIZES
- EPSC 2018 SESSIONS ON OUTER PLANET SYSTEMS
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AAS DIVISION FOR PLANETARY SCIENCES 2018 PRIZES
The DPS is pleased to announce its 2018 prize winners.
Gerard P. Kuiper Prize – Julio Ángel Fernández Alves
The DPS awards the 2018 Gerard P. Kuiper Prize for outstanding contributions
to the field of planetary science to Julio Ángel Fernández Alves (Facultad
de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay) for his
research focusing on the origin of the solar system and the physical and
dynamical evolution of comets. Prof. Fernández’s 1980 paper “On the
Existence of a Comet Belt Beyond Neptune” inspired the search for and
discovery of the Kuiper belt. In the same year he published another seminal
paper showing that Oort cloud comets should come from the Neptune-Uranus
region, having been scattered by those planets’ perturbations; this population
of scattered disk objects has also been found. His third seminal contribution
introduced the fundamental concept behind the present formation models
involving massive migrations of the planets in the early solar system. In
addition to his scientific contributions, Dr. Fernández has been tireless in
inspiring and promoting the interaction and integration of South American
planetary scientists with colleagues around the world.
Harold C. Urey Prize – Francesca E. DeMeo
The DPS awards the 2018 Harold C. Urey Prize for outstanding achievement
in planetary research by a young scientist to Francesca DeMeo (MIT). We
award this in recognition of the broad foundational understanding of the study
of solar system bodies using the modern system of asteroid classification that
bears her name. With reflectance spectra of thousands of asteroids she used
the Bus-DeMeo taxonomy as a tool leading to our modern understanding of
the geologic structure of the asteroid belt. The compositional complexity revealed
by her analysis provides independent, observational evidence fully supporting
dynamical models demonstrating greater mixing of bodies in the early solar
system than previous observations indicated.
Carl Sagan Medal – Bonnie J. Buratti
The DPS awards the 2018 Carl Sagan Medal for excellence in public
communication to Bonnie J. Buratti (Jet Propulsion Laboratory)
for her effective education and public outreach with a measured
and demonstrably, high impact. She is noted for conducting teachers’
workshops, delivering popular public talks, and written work appearing
in encyclopedias, blog posts, and a recently published, popular book,
“Worlds Fantastic, Worlds Familiar.” She brings personal anecdotes
combined with clear explanations of science, accompanied by stunning
images that bring our science to the public for their enlightenment and
enjoyment. Buratti also advocates for others to engage with the public
and initiated the DPS program called “Trick or Treat and Telescopes,”
a program the division hopes will grow.
Harold Masursky Award – Faith Vilas
The DPS awards the 2018 Harold Masursky Award for meritorious service
to planetary science to Faith Vilas (National Science Foundation). During a
time of national duress following the chaos of the 9/11 attack, she insured
the integrity of the Discovery program selection process. As the first Chair
of the NASA Small Bodies Assessment Group, she established its operational
practices and made it the viable entity that continues today. As Chair of the
DPS, Vilas played a key role in establishing the Carl Sagan Medal, which
was the first major statement in support of the importance of communicating
our science with the public. She has mentored and inspired young people who
have become well-known figures in our profession, and others who have taken
an appreciation of our science into other careers. She has served on numerous
Academy and NASA panels. Her service to the field and to society has been
exemplary.
Jonathan Eberhart Planetary Sciences Journalism Award – Alexandra Witze
The DPS presents the 2018 Jonathan Eberhart Planetary Sciences Journalism
Award for distinguished popular writing to Alexandra Witze for her article
“Next Stop, Mars” in the January 19, 2017, issue of Nature. After setting the
high stakes involved in bringing back samples from Mars, Witze describes
how NASA plans to tackle the daunting task of keeping the samples pristine.
Witze takes readers on a wonderful journey through the Jet Propulsion Lab,
where the Mars 2020 rover is being built, and introduces some of the people
leading the immense project. She beautifully conveys the extreme levels of
cleanliness essential to detecting life on another planet and the rigorous planning
that goes on behind the scenes. Witze ends the article by describing the rationale
behind selecting the landing site for the Mars 2020 rover and looks ahead at
potential missions that would carry the precious samples back to Earth.
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EPSC 2018 SESSIONS ON OUTER PLANET SYSTEMS
Dear colleagues,
We would like to bring to your attention to the following sessions related
to Outer Planet Systems taking place at the upcoming EPSC meeting in Berlin.
Please consider submitting an abstract.
https://www.epsc2018.eu/home.html
Abstract deadline is May 16th.
OPS1
Outer planets systems and Pluto
Conveners: Athena Coustenis, Glenn Orton , Sushil K. Atreya ,
Leigh Fletcher , Nicolas Altobelli
OPS2
Cassini’s Legacy: One Year Later
Conveners: Scott Edgington, Sushil K. Atreya , Athena Coustenis ,
Norbert Krupp , Linda Spilker
OPS3
Ocean worlds and Icy Moons
Conveners: Alex Hayes, Jean-Pierre Lebreton , Olivier Witasse ,
Athena Coustenis , Elizabeth Turtle , Federico Tosi
OPS4
Juno at Jupiter and Supporting Earth-Based Observations
Conveners: Scott Bolton, Alberto Adriani , Jack Connerney ,
Tristan Guillot , Alessandro Mura
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Send submissions to:
Anne Verbiscer, DPS Secretary ([email protected])
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