DPS Newsletter 25-20

Issue 25-20, Aug 28, 2025

+————————————CONTENTS—————————————-+

  1. AAS DIVISION FOR PLANETARY SCIENCES ANNOUNCES 2025 PRIZE WINNERS
  1. NOT TOO LATE TO REGISTER FOR THE  EPSC-DPS 2025 MEETING
  1. DPS MEMBERS MEETING AT EPSC-DPS
  1. REACH OUT NOW TO COLLEAGUES YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE SERVE ON THE DPS NOMINATING COMMITTEE
  1. PLEASE ALERT THE DPS COMMITTEE ABOUT MEMBERS WHO HAVE PASSED AWAY THIS PAST YEAR SO WE CAN REMEMBER THEM AT THE ANNUAL MEMBERS MEETING
  1. WOMEN IN PLANETARY SCIENCES (WIPS) LUNCHEON 
  1. FEDERAL RELATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE (FRS) MEETING
  1. OPEN MIC NIGHT AT THE 2025 EPSC-DPS MEETING
  1. DEPENDENT CARE GRANT APPLICATION FOR 2025 EPSC-DPS
  1. CLASSROOM VISITS DURING EPSC-DPS 2025
  1. PLEASE VOLUNTEER TO MENTOR AN EARLY-CAREER RESEARCH AT THE EPSC-DPS 2025 MEETING
  1. JGR: PLANETS MEET & GREET AT EPSC-DPS (SM17)
  1. AAS ACTION ALERT AND SURVEY REGARDING STEM WORKFORCE

+——————————————————————————————–+

1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1———1——-

AAS DIVISION FOR PLANETARY SCIENCES ANNOUNCES 2025 PRIZE WINNERS

Congratulations to the DPS prize winners for 2025.  

  • The Gerard P. Kuiper Prize is awarded to Dr Faith Villas and it honors outstanding contributions to the field of planetary science. 
  • The Harold C. Urey Prize recognizes outstanding achievement in planetary research and is awarded this year to two extremely deserving young scientists: Dr Xinting Yu and Dr James Keane 
  • The Harold Masursky Award acknowledges this year Dr Rosaly Lopes’ outstanding service to planetary science and exploration.
  • The Carl Sagan Medal is bestowed to Dr Lisa Kaltenegger and recognizes and honors outstanding communication by an active planetary scientist to the general public.
  • The Alexander Prize recognizes Dr Matt Hedman’s outstanding contributions that have significantly advanced our knowledge of planetary systems, including our solar system.
  • The Jonathan Eberhart Planetary Sciences Journalism Award recognizes and stimulates distinguished popular writing on planetary sciences and is bestowed this year to Liz Kruesi.

Please visit the DPS 2025 prize webpage to learn more about each of the winners.

“I think I can safely speak for the DPS Committee when I say that these seven awards are going to those who represent the best aspects of our community,” added DPS Press Secretary and Officer Theodore Kareta. “Congratulations again to each and every one of the winners.”

The 2025 DPS prizes will be presented at a joint meeting of the Division for Planetary Sciences and the Europlanet Society Congress (EPSC), which will take place in Helsinki, Finland and online from 7 to 12 September 2025. The prizes will be given out at a ceremony at 2:00 PM local Helsinki time on 11 September.

2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2———2——-

NOT TOO LATE TO REGISTER FOR THE  EPSC-DPS 2025 MEETING

The 2025 EPSC-DPS Joint meeting to be held at Finlandia Hall, Helsinki, Finland on 7–12 September is fast approaching. EPSC-DPS 2025 will be organized as a fully hybrid meeting and will allow virtual access to all oral and poster sessions. More specifically, EPSC-DPS 2025 offers various options for interaction, scientific discussion, and networking for virtual participants, see: https://www.epsc-dps2025.eu/attend/virtual_participation.html

You can still register to attend the EPSC-DPS meeting occurring September 7-12 in Helsinki, Finland.  Please see the EPSC-DPS webpage for registration rates based on your membership status and choose to attend in person or virtually.  Registration for the meeting can be paid using a credit card or PayPal.  

Registration is required for all EPSC-DPS 2025 participants including presenting authors of submitted and accepted abstracts, session conveners, and solicited speakers. Registration fees cover access to all scientific events, as well as refreshments during the coffee breaks and networking events.

IMPORTANT: For US participants who face travel limitations or experience a change of plans that do not allow them to attend in person or virtually, please note that submitted papers can still be delivered by co-authors if the first author is not able to attend the meeting.

3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3———3——-

DPS MEMBERS MEETING AT EPSC-DPS

  • Day: Wednesday 9/10         
  • Start/end times, Helsinki 12:30-14:00 (5:30 – 7:00 am Eastern)
  • Event location: Saturn Room (Hall B)        
  • Organizers: Athena Coustenis and Scott Murchie
  • Zoom link: Button to enter Zoom meeting will appear in the online program 15 minutes prior to the event start time (session CE7)

Description: At this annual business meeting of the DPS, the status of membership, leadership, activities in the past year, election outcomes, and finances will be reviewed. Division officers will summarize the past year’s accomplishments and goals for coming years. Votes will be taken on incoming members of the Nominating subcommittee and on Division dues for the coming year. Editors will summarize the status and publications of journals that the DPS endorses and supports.

All DPS members are encouraged to participate, either in person or virtually.  You do not need to register for the meeting in order to attend the members meeting.  To attend virtually without registering for the meeting, you need to have a Copernicus Meetings User ID, which you can create for free with Copernicus Meetings at https://administrator.copernicus.org/createAccount

After completing the online form, you will receive a User ID and an email with a link to create a new password for your account. After you create the new password, you will receive an email confirming the User ID and password.  Please do this well in advance of the Members Meeting.

Fifteen minutes prior to the start of the event, a button will appear in the online conference program to enter the relevant Zoom session.  Use the link below to search for the session CE7, which is where the link will appear.

Welcome to the EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting 2025 session programme

Voting during the DPS members meeting will be done using Google Forms with a link that will be shared in the chat.  You will need to have a google account in order to submit your vote.  If you do not have a google account, please create one before the members meeting. 

4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4———4——-

REACH OUT NOW TO COLLEAGUES YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE SERVE ON THE DPS NOMINATING COMMITTEE

During the Members Meeting on September 10, DPS members who are present or participating virtually online will be able to nominate individuals to serve on the Nominating Subcommittee of the DPS.  This committee is responsible for presenting to the DPS Secretary a list of candidates for DPS Officers and Committee members. https://dps.aas.org/leadership/nominating for serving on the DPS committee the following year.

During the business meeting we must receive nominations for at least three individuals, and then the membership will vote for one new committee member, who will serve a three-year term, and become the chair of the subcommittee during their third year of service.  

Please start reaching out to colleagues now who you think would do a good job serving on this committee and ask if they would be willing to serve and if you can nominate them during the members meeting.  

5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5———5——-

PLEASE ALERT THE DPS COMMITTEE ABOUT MEMBERS WHO HAVE PASSED AWAY THIS PAST YEAR SO WE CAN REMEMBER THEM AT THE ANNUAL MEMBERS MEETING

Each year at our annual members meeting, we take a moment to remember past members who are no longer with us.  Please help us to not miss anyone by letting us know of DPS members who have passed away since the last DPS members meeting (October 2024).  If possible, please also send a picture of the individual and a link to their obituary if it is still available.  You can send this information to Denise Stephens, DPS secretary at [email protected]

6———6———6———6———6———6———6———6———

WOMEN IN PLANETARY SCIENCES (WIPS) LUNCHEON 

  • Day: Thursday 9/11
  • Start/end times, Helsinki 12:30-14:00 (5:30-7:00 am Eastern)
  • Event location: Saturn (Hall B)
  • Organizers: Jennifer Hanley, Kelsi Singer, Audrey Martin, Tess Marlin, Mikayla Huffman, Tracy Becker, and The Professional Development Subcommittee of the DPS
  • Zoom link: Button to enter Zoom meeting will appear in the online program 15 minutes prior to the event start time (session CE11)

Description: Please join us for the annual Women in Planetary Science (WiPS) lunch! This year, we’re diving into the crucial topic of building more international collaborations and finding funding opportunities across different countries. Whether you’re an early-career scientist or a seasoned professional, understanding the landscape of global partnerships is key to advancing planetary science. We’ll have an engaging discussion featuring planetary scientists with diverse international experiences. Our speakers will share insights on topics such as navigating international funding landscapes and exploring scholarship/fellowship opportunities, strategies for organizing and managing international working groups, and tips for identifying and leveraging opportunities at other international conferences.

Note that DPS members attending virtually will need to make a Copernicus Meetings account.  Information is given above in the announcement about the Members Meeting.  

PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED: http://bit.ly/WiPS_2025

7———7———7———7———7———7———7———7———7——-

FEDERAL RELATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE (FRS) MEETING

  • Day: Tuesday 9/9
  • Start/end times, Helsinki 12:45-13:45 (5:45-6:45 am Eastern)
  • Event location: Triton Room (Room 24)
  • Organizer: Angela Dapremont

Description: Earlier this year, Finland became the 53rd signatory to the Artemis Accords, building on the nation’s established role in space exploration and committing to a set of principles designed to promote the beneficial use of space for humanity. This FRS Splinter Session at the 2025 Joint EPSC-DPS Meeting will partially focus on the Accords, as part of a broader discussion centered on: the value of international collaboration and partnership in the space science and exploration domains, the process for establishing international partnerships related to space exploration, and how international cooperation adds value to planetary science missions to make them more impactful and successful.

8———8———8———8———8———8———8———8———8——-

OPEN MIC NIGHT AT THE 2025 EPSC-DPS MEETING

We will be holding the 2025 EPSC/DPS open mic night on Tuesday September 9 at Rymy-Eetu, starting at 21:30. Rymy-Eetu is a 20-minute walk from Finlandia Hall and can be easily reached by trams 3 and 10. They serve food and drinks and will be open starting at 20:30.  

Any registered EPSC/DPS attendee is welcome to sign up. We typically have musical acts, poetry, spoken word, etc., so don’t be shy. You can either email Joe Spitale ahead of time to reserve a slot, or you can sign up during the show for a five-minute walk-on slot, subject to availability. To reserve a slot, send me the following information by 9/2:

  • Name of act, if any
  • Names of participant(s)
  • Description of act (e.g., music w/ singing; opera; aerial acrobatics, Romanian bagpipes, extended bongo solo, etc.)
  • Contact email address
  • Requested duration
  • Requested equipment
  • Any equipment you are willing to share

Regarding the last point, please do not feel in any way pressured or obligated to share any of your personal equipment if you are not comfortable doing so.

Please note that I won’t be able to let you know how much time we can actually give you until after the sign-ups close, but I’ll do my best to get everyone in!

We look forward to seeing you there!

9———9———9———9———9——–9———9———9———9——-

DEPENDENT CARE GRANT APPLICATION FOR 2025 EPSC-DPS

The DPS’s Susan Niebur Professional Development Fund provides financial assistance to qualifying DPS members in order to facilitate their meeting attendance by offsetting costs for childcare, elder care, spousal care, etc. at the meeting location or at home during DPS conferences. We are now accepting applications for the EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting 2025 in Helsinki, Finland. The first deadline has passed, but we are still accepting and reviewing new applications, funding and eligibility permitting.

For more information and to apply for the grant, visit: https://dps.aas.org/development/dps-dependent-care-grant-application

10———10———10———10———10——–10———10———10———10——-

CLASSROOM VISITS DURING EPSC-DPS 2025

During the week of and week after the EPSC-DPS BIANNUAL JOINT conference, the Lecturers Without Borders organization (https://www.lewibo.org/) and Europlanet Society will schedule classroom visits for scientists attending the conference to local schools in and around Helsinki. The program now counts its 5th edition, and for the first time, it is joined by the American

community of planetary scientists. It gives travelling scientists from both sides of the Atlantic the opportunity to share their knowledge with the local community of schools, creating a temporary hotspot of sharing science.

If you are interested and available to participate, either in-person or virtually, please fill out the following form to indicate your availability – https://form.jotform.com/241661279538061. Contact Dr. Athanasia Nikolaou for additional information.

At the same time, schools in the US with students from 9 years old or older can declare their interest to follow online lectures in planetary science in this form:

https://form.jotform.com/240794197558674

The programme is supported by the Europlanet Society, the Division for Planetary Sciences – AAS,  University of Helsinki, the Finnish Meteorological Institute, the Ursa Astronomical Association and Scientix.  LUMA joins as a communication partner.

11———11———11———11———11——–11———11———11———11——-

PLEASE VOLUNTEER TO MENTOR AN EARLY-CAREER RESEARCH AT THE EPSC-DPS 2025 MEETING

International conferences can be overwhelming, especially for early-career researchers.  To help them to make the most of upcoming EPSC-DPS 2025, we are organizing a mentoring program during the conference. We are mainly looking for mentors to support 1-2 early-career participants who are attending their first international conference. Mentors will be expected to answer any questions their mentees may have and help them initiate their first networking contacts. New collaborations may even emerge from this experience!

If you are interested in volunteering as a mentor, please subscribe here https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdFvDvT1BcPOcDu7b1maiSAVMg16b-j7bkwo638fXoOnu8ftg/viewform?usp=dialog

On behalf of the early-career community, we sincerely thank you for

supporting this initiative and wish you an excellent EPSC-DPS in Helsinki.”

12———12———12———12———12——–12———12———12———12——-

JGR: PLANETS MEET & GREET AT EPSC-DPS (SM17)

The editorial board of Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets will hold a meet & greet during the EPSC-DPS meeting on Tuesday, September 9, 12:45-13:35 in the Callisto room (room 5). Come meet the board members and learn about JGR:Planets, open data policies, special collections and more!

Lunch will be provided!

Hope to see you there,

Amanda Hendrix, Ph.D.

Editor-in-Chief

13———13———13———13———13——–13———13———13———13——-

AAS ACTION ALERT AND SURVEY REGARDING STEM WORKFORCE

The American Astronomical Society is partnering with the American Physical Society (APS), the American Association of Physics Teachers, and the National Society of Black Physicists to urge Congress to defend inclusion and belonging in STEM workforce programs. In a recent bipartisan appropriation report, the Senate Commerce, Justice, and Science subcommittee wrote that “ensuring individuals from underrepresented communities across the country can enter and sustain a career as part of the STEM workforce is essential to securing the workforce going forward.” On the other hand, the parallel House bill includes language that prohibits funding for offices, initiatives, and grants that expand opportunity and broaden participation, sweeping up many STEM workforce programs.

You can use our easy action alert form to urge Congress to support the Senate report language and eliminate the House provisions to help embattled workforce programs continue to broaden participation in our field. 

Take Action

APS is also conducting an anonymous survey to help us understand how visa rule changes (such as the proposed elimination of Duration of Status and Optional Practical Training) impact the education and career plans of international students and postdocs. We request that international students and postdocs please take this anonymous, 9-question, 5-minute survey by 12 September.

Take the Survey