(opening words of The Camel's Nose by Knut Schmidt-Nielsen).
Professor, Dept. of Earth and Space Sciences / Astrobiology Program, at the University of Washington (UW), Seattle, USA
Adjunct Prof., UW Dept of Atmospheric Sciences.
Areas of research:
- Planetary Atmospheres and Climate; The Coupled Evolution of Planetary Surfaces and Atmospheres.
- Evolution of the Earth's Atmosphere and the Co-evolution of
Life and Biogeochemical Cycles; Astrobiology.
- Involvement with NASA's missions to the planet Mars :
- Data analysis from the Mars
Global
Surveyor and Mars
Odyssey
orbiters
- Science Team member for NASA's Phoenix lander (landed successfully on Mars in 2008)
- Working within the Virtual Planetary Lab of NASA's Astrobiology Institute to understand the habitability of Earth and other planets.
- An investigator with the Simons Collaboration on the Origin of Life. See my project page with the Simons Foundation.
Advisor-advisee tree based on
post-doctoral, PhD, masters and undergrad research advisors and
their advisees. Hopefully, a few crumbs of wisdom have passed down
this tree to me.

Brief Bio
- 2012-present: Professor, University of Washington, Seattle.
- 2018-present: Associate Chair for the Graduate Program, Dept. of Earth & Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle.
- Spring-Summer 2018:
- Leverhulme Visiting Professor, Dept. of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, England;
- Visiting Fellow, Darwin College, Cambridge, England.
- 2017-2018: Senior Research Visitor, European Southern Observatory, Santiago, Chile
- 2009-2012: Associate Professor, Univ. of Washington
- 2005-2008: European Union Marie Curie Chair at the University
of Bristol, England & Affiliate professor, Univ. of
Washington.
- 2001: Jointly appointed to University of Washington Dept. of
Atmospheric Sciences and Astrobiology
Program
- 1995-2001: NASA Ames Research Center, California, in the Planetary Systems Branch, Space Science Division
- 1994: D.Phil in Atmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary Physics, University of Oxford, England.
Kevin
Zahnle (NASA Ames Research Center) - on astrobiology
Jon Toner (Dept. Earth and Space Sciences) -- on the habitability of cold solar system environments: Mars, Enceladus, etc.
Roger Buick (University of Washington, Earth and Space Sciences) - on early Earth and astrobiology
Tyler Robinson (Northern Arizona University) - on planetary atmospheres
Giles Marion (Emeritus, Desert Research Institute) - on aqueous solutions on Mars, and outer planet moons
David Montgomery (University of Washington, Earth and Space Sciences) - on the geology of Mars
Jon Toner (Dept. Earth and Space Sciences) -- on the habitability of cold solar system environments: Mars, Enceladus, etc.
Roger Buick (University of Washington, Earth and Space Sciences) - on early Earth and astrobiology
Tyler Robinson (Northern Arizona University) - on planetary atmospheres
Giles Marion (Emeritus, Desert Research Institute) - on aqueous solutions on Mars, and outer planet moons
David Montgomery (University of Washington, Earth and Space Sciences) - on the geology of Mars
Current postdoctoral researchers:
Shintaro Kadoya (Dept. of Earth & Space Sciences)
Zoe Todd (Dept. of Earth & Space Sciences)
Current graduate students
Lauren O'Neil (Dept. of Earth & Space Sciences/ Astrobiology)
Nick Wogan (Dept. of Earth & Space Sciences/ Astrobiology)
Lucas Fifer (Dept. of Earth & Space Sciences/ Astrobiology)
Andrew Shumway (Dept. of Earth &
Space Sciences/ Astrobiology)
Ping-Chun Lin (Dept. of Earth & Space Sciences/ Astrobiology)
Kimberley Sinclair (Dept. of Earth & Space Sciences/ Astrobiology)
Trent
Thomas (Dept. of Earth & Space Sciences/ Astrobiology)Ping-Chun Lin (Dept. of Earth & Space Sciences/ Astrobiology)
Kimberley Sinclair (Dept. of Earth & Space Sciences/ Astrobiology)
Former Ph.D and M.S. students:
Where are they now?
Mark Claire (2008 PhD) Reader, Univ. of St. Andrews
Scotland.
Elliot Sefton-Nash (2010 PhD) Planetary Scientist, European
Space Agency, European Space Research & Technology Centre
(ESTEC), Noordwijk, Netherlands.
Sanjoy Som (2010 PhD) - Research Scientist & Director, Blue
Marble Space. Also at NASA Ames Research Center
Megan Smith (2015 MS) - Technical staff, Aerospace Corp.,
El Segundo, Los Angeles, CA
Erik
Goosmann (2018 MS) - Data Analyst, Institute for Health
Metrics and Evaluation (IHME)
Josh Krissansen-Totton (2019, PhD) NASA Sagan Fellow, University of California at Santa Cruz
Steven Sholes (2019, PhD) - postdoctoral researcher, NASA JPL
Owen Lehmer (2020, PhD) - research scientist, NASA Ames Research Center
Josh Krissansen-Totton (2019, PhD) NASA Sagan Fellow, University of California at Santa Cruz
Steven Sholes (2019, PhD) - postdoctoral researcher, NASA JPL
Owen Lehmer (2020, PhD) - research scientist, NASA Ames Research Center
Former postdoctoral researchers:
Where are they now?
Benjamin
Charnay (2014-16) - Researcher
with CNRS ( Centre
national de la recherche scientifique), at LESIA,
the Paris Observatory
in Meudon, France.
Phil Pogge von Strandmann (2009-11) - Reader, University College London
Julien Foriel (2005-8) - Researcher/ Lab Manager, Tokyo Tech University
Phil Pogge von Strandmann (2009-11) - Reader, University College London
Julien Foriel (2005-8) - Researcher/ Lab Manager, Tokyo Tech University
Former undergraduate researchers:
Where are they now?
MacKenzie
Day (2010) - UCLA faculty, after PhD U Texas, Austin &
postdoc
David Bergsman (2009-2010) - PhD (Stanford), postdoc MIT
Meelis Lootus (2007-8) - Univ. of Oxford DPhil in 2015. Cohort Member, Entrepreneur First, UK.
Chris Glein (2004-5) - Research Scientist, Southwest Research Inst.
Carie Frantz (2004) - Assistant Prof., Weber State University, UT.
Elliott Ginder (2002-2004) - Associate Professor, Meiji University, Tokyo, Japan; PhD from Kanazawa University.
Cindy Peacock (2003-2004) - was a Chemist at NOAA.
Charlie Barnhart (2003) - Assistant Professor, Western Washington University.
Joannah Metz (2001) - Caltech PhD (2010). Geoscientist, Shell Oil.
Carol Paty (2000) - Associate Professor, University of Oregon, Eugene.
Hillary Waites (1997) - Climate change attorney, Santa Clara, CA.
David Bergsman (2009-2010) - PhD (Stanford), postdoc MIT
Meelis Lootus (2007-8) - Univ. of Oxford DPhil in 2015. Cohort Member, Entrepreneur First, UK.
Chris Glein (2004-5) - Research Scientist, Southwest Research Inst.
Carie Frantz (2004) - Assistant Prof., Weber State University, UT.
Elliott Ginder (2002-2004) - Associate Professor, Meiji University, Tokyo, Japan; PhD from Kanazawa University.
Cindy Peacock (2003-2004) - was a Chemist at NOAA.
Charlie Barnhart (2003) - Assistant Professor, Western Washington University.
Joannah Metz (2001) - Caltech PhD (2010). Geoscientist, Shell Oil.
Carol Paty (2000) - Associate Professor, University of Oregon, Eugene.
Hillary Waites (1997) - Climate change attorney, Santa Clara, CA.