Issue 20-40, August 30, 2020
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- IN MEMORIAM: NADINE G. BARLOW
- OPENINGS ON OUTER PLANETS ANALYSIS GROUP (OPAG) STEERING COMMITTEE
- NASA MISSION SCIENCE TEAM MEETING OPPORTUNITIES FOR EARLY CAREER SCIENTISTS
- NASA PLANETARY DATA ECOSYSTEM (PDE) INDEPENDENT REVIEW BOARD (IRB) SELF-NOMINATION CLOSING ON OR ABOUT SEPTEMBER 7
- ARECIBO OBSERVATORY PROPOSAL DEADLINE EXTENDED: NOW DUE SEPTEMBER 10, 2020 (17:00 AST, 21:00 UTC)
- AGU VIRTUAL GEOSCIENCES CONGRESSIONAL VISITS DAY
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IN MEMORIAM: NADINE G. BARLOW
Nadine Gail Barlow passed away on August 17, 2020.
Over 18 years at Northern Arizona University, Nadine ascended the academic ranks,
becoming Department Chair of Astronomy and Planetary Science. She received
numerous awards for teaching excellence. Doubling the size of the Department, she
grew its curriculum into a Ph.D.-granting program. Nadine supervised many
undergraduate and graduate students, and was a popular mentor and friend to those
under her tutelage. A prize for Undergraduate Research Excellence is being established
in her name. Academic outreach was a priority, bringing the Arizona Space Grant Program
to NAU, and fostering cooperation between NAU, Lowell Observatory, and the USGS.
Nadine specialized in impact cratering processes across the Solar System. Almost on a
dare, she mapped, measured, and classified every crater on Mars larger than 8 km in
diameter for her Ph.D. dissertation. These data were used to establish the detailed relative
chronology of Martian geologic features. Throughout her career, she expanded this
database, as later spacecraft missions returned increasingly detailed images of Mars.
The IAU named asteroid 15466 Barlow in her honor.
Nadine is missed by family and many lifelong friends.
Bob Marcialis, Faith Vilas, Lisa Prato, Lynn Hayden
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OPENINGS ON OUTER PLANETS ANALYSIS GROUP (OPAG) STEERING COMMITTEE
Several openings are available on the OPAG steering committee to replace members
who will be rolling off. All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, particularly
those with expertise in Giant Planet Interiors, Ocean Worlds & Cryospheres (field and
experimental), Astrobiology, and those able to represent Science Mission Directorate
Cross-Divisional interests.
Nominations will be accepted after the OPAG virtual meeting in September 2020 and
will be due by November 1, 2020. New members will start their service in time for the
Spring 2021 OPAG meeting. Details of the nomination process include providing a one-
page letter of interest and a two-page NASA proposal-style CV that address what community
the candidates represent, and how they will enhance that community’s representation on
the steering committee. A New Members subcommittee of the OPAG Steering Committee
will review all of the nominations and make recommendations to the full Steering Committee.
Through the search process, we will strive to ensure representation across multiple axes to
foster an interdisciplinary, diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible community.
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NASA MISSION SCIENCE TEAM MEETING OPPORTUNITIES FOR EARLY CAREER SCIENTISTS
Participation on a mission science team is a formative experience with long-standing
benefits to scientists. While NASA provides additional opportunities to serve on mission
science teams (for example, via Participating Scientist Programs, formal team affiliations
via Co-Is on science teams, etc.), extended and immersive opportunities to serve on science
teams are inherently limited considering the small number of missions in existence. In
addition, such opportunities can be difficult for early career scientists to utilize.
NASA is considering more accessible ways to significantly increase the number of early
career scientists exposed to the mission science team experience. Based on feedback from
the community, one such method under consideration is inviting senior graduate students
and early career scientists to observe mission science team meetings. Paired with mentors
from the science team, it is hoped that such an experience can provide valuable insight on
the work and team dynamics that take place on missions. The opportunity’s limited scope
could, over time, enable more scientists to participate than existing opportunities, providing
a gateway experience to help early career scientists make informed decisions about their
career paths.
The Psyche, Europa Clipper, Dragonfly missions are providing the opportunity for early
career scientists to observe their next science team meetings. This opportunity is open to
graduate students in or beyond their third year of earning their doctorate or early career
scientists within seven years of receiving their doctorate. Because of ITAR concerns, at
this time the opportunity is limited to U.S. citizens and green card holders. Interested
candidates should submit a letter no longer than two pages that describes their background
and research interests, how such an experience could be of benefit to them, and which
mission they wish to observe (along with any special interests in particular areas of that
mission). Respondents will be selected based upon the anticipated impact to their career
path and the alignment of the mission with their research interests. Selection preference
will be given to individuals from institutions that are underrepresented on planetary science
missions. NASA recognizes and supports the benefits of having diverse and inclusive
communities and expects that such values will be reflected in this opportunity.
Letters and questions can be sent to [email protected] with the subject line “Science
Team Meeting.” Those interested in observing the Europa Clipper mission must respond
by September 14, 2020, while those interested in the Dragonfly or Psyche missions must
respond by September 30, 2020.
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NASA PLANETARY DATA ECOSYSTEM (PDE) INDEPENDENT REVIEW BOARD (IRB)
SELF-NOMINATION CLOSING ON OR ABOUT SEPTEMBER 7
NASA defines the Planetary Data Ecosystem (PDE) “as the ad hoc connected framework
of activities and products that are built upon and support the data collected by planetary
space missions and research programs, primarily those funded by NASA.” The PDE includes
but is not limited to archives, tools, programs, projects, pipelines, and stakeholder groups.
The PDE Independent Review Board (IRB) will conduct a review of the Planetary Science
Division’s (PSD) PDE with the goal of defining the full environment, identifying missing
or overly redundant elements, and providing findings and prioritized, actionable recommendations
for PSD’s long-term planning in support of the PDE.
The IRB will be comprised of members from academia, industry, Government, and the public.
Member expertise will span the areas of project management, science, engineering,
and the user base. The PDE IRB will be convened virtually over the course of three months
in fall 2020 (estimate).
A third-party contractor independently will select the PDE IRB members and will issue
any invitations to serve. NASA will provide the verbatim self-nominations to the contractor
without comment or prioritization. It is anticipated that the third-party contractor will begin
inviting members to serve in late-August and early-September. To submit a self-nomination,
please visit:
https://science.nasa.gov/researchers/volunteer-review-panels/planetary-data-ecosystem-pde-independent-review-board-irb.
Signing up does not commit you to serve and
does not prevent you from submitting responses to any NASA Request for Information.
PSD expects the ability to self-nominate to the IRB will close on or about September 7th.
If you have questions or comments, please email them directly to Rebecca McCauley Rench
([email protected]) using subject line: “PDE Self Nomination.”
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ARECIBO OBSERVATORY PROPOSAL DEADLINE EXTENDED: NOW DUE SEPTEMBER 10, 2020 (17:00 AST, 21:00 UTC)
The proposal submission deadline for the Arecibo Observatory 2021 Semester A
observations has been extended by one week. The deadline is now September 10, 2020
(17:00 AST, 21:00 UTC).
These observing requests should be for telescope/radar usage within the six-month (or
in some cases one-year) period beginning January 1, 2021.
We will continue to notify the community with updates regarding the telescope operations
as more information becomes available.
Proposals must be submitted using the Proposal Submission Tool.
Useful links:
Technical information for Radio Astronomy proposals for this deadline.
Proposal and Observation Preparation Tools (compute LST rise and set times for sources
and to calculate the dates when sources will be visible at nighttime).
Please email any questions about this call for proposals to
Christiano Brum ([email protected]) or Noemí Pinilla-Alonso ([email protected]).
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AGU VIRTUAL GEOSCIENCES CONGRESSIONAL VISITS DAY
This Geosciences Congressional Visits Day will look a little different than our previous
events. This year the focus is on helping you renew your relationship with your legislators.
This Geo-CVD will consist of two parts:
On Tuesday, 15 September at 2pm ET we’ll have a legislative update so that you have
an understanding of the science policy landscape and help you decide what are the most
timely issues to raise with your legislators. This session will include a brief meeting refresher.
On Wednesday, 16 September at 2pm ET we’ll have a training to help you brush up on your
advocacy skills and ways to re-engage those legislators you may have lost touch with.
In addition to the legislative update and training, we’ll provide you with the materials
you need to successfully renew your relationships with your legislators this Fall.
A recording of both sessions will also be available.
Please register by Monday 31 August 2020.
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