The Association for Women Geoscientists to Present the 2021 Professional Excellence Award to Dr. Jennifer L. Heldmann
Jennifer Heldmann conducting Mars analog fieldwork in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica.
Credits: photo by Margarita MarinovaDr. Jennifer L. Heldmann was selected to receive the 2021 Professional Excellence Award in Government from the Association for Women Geoscientists, or AWG. This award is presented to an individual who demonstrates excellence in the following areas: breadth and depth of professional accomplishments, mentoring of other geoscience professionals, outreach and service activities, and membership in professional societies.tions regarding immunocompromised individuals. Today’s action does not apply to people who are not immunocompromised.
Heldmann’s research focuses on dominant geologic processes sculpting the Earth, our Moon, and Mars, namely impact cratering and volcanism, as well as the study of water and ices on these planetary bodies for intrinsic scientific merit, relevance for astrobiology and the search for life beyond Earth, and as a resource to enable sustained human exploration of the Moon and Mars. Heldmann serves as the principle investigator of multiple analog research projects, having conducted fieldwork in the High Canadian Arctic, Antarctica, Atacama Desert, Mojave Desert, Australia Outback, Iceland, Australia, Svalbard, California, Arizona, and Utah, among other locales. As a leader in the realm of planetary analog fieldwork, Heldmann co-founded and leads the NASA Analogs Focus Group as well as the NASA Ames PLANETAS (PLANetary Exploration Through Analog Science) laboratory.
Heldmann’s research projects also have directly impacted spaceflight missions, the MVP (Mojave Volatiles Prospector) project (principle investigator Heldmann) simulated a lunar polar rover mission, which formed a scientific and operational basis for the upcoming NASA VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) lunar rover mission. Heldmann also supports NASA’s Artemis program to return humans to the surface of the Moon, and the inclusion of astronauts and field activities such as astronaut training exercises, testing of handheld tools for EVA (extravehicular activity), assessment of mission operations structures for human spaceflight – all being incorporated into NASA’s plans to return to the Moon through Heldmann’s participating in multiple NASA Artemis activities.
Most notably, Heldmann demonstrates a committed track record to mentoring geoscience students and professionals. Heldmann’s recent projects, FINESSE and RESOURCE, are comprised of more than 100 science and engineering professionals plus dozens of students. Heldmann has provided strategic vision and leadership for these successful projects while simultaneously mentoring individuals. As an advisor for the NASA Postdoctoral Program, or NPP, her NPP post-docs have gone on to be successful contributors to our community. Heldmann has nurtured the careers of scientists and advocated for their hires as NASA civil servant scientists in geoscience, supported countless undergraduates and graduate students through internship opportunities at NASA, and has supported teachers and students on NASA analog expeditions through the Spaceward Bound program where she brings students and teachers into the field to conduct geology fieldwork directly with the NASA team.
Heldmann also is committed to promoting an equitable, diverse, and inclusive scientific workforce, supporting multiple projects to mentor geoscience professionals from underserved and underrepresented communities. For example, Heldmann’s RESOURCE research team includes collaboration with Howard University (an HBCU) in activities including the development of a virtual community of practice focused on NASA Subject Matter Experts, or SMEs, of color, the design of STEM resources to cultivate underrepresented students’ interest in space science and aerospace careers, and the organization of secondary school teacher workshops to encourage minority student populations to enter STEM fields. Heldmann actively participates in NASA EPSCoR programs to provide funding to jurisdictions that have not participated equitably in competitive aerospace and aerospace-related research activities. Furthermore, she has served as a panel reviewer for multiple NASA MUREP (Minority University Research & Education Project) programs to engage underrepresented populations through targeted grant programs.
In addition, Heldmann is demonstrably committed to education, outreach, and service. She routinely participates in public events to discuss the excitement of geoscience research with the broader public. She serves as an SME for the NASA Science Activation team to bring scientific content to a network of Community Colleges across the nation and as a reviewer for the Space Camp Hall of Fame Scholarship Fund to award deserving students the opportunity to attend Space Camp. She was an invited guest on the NASA “Gravity Assist” podcast to discuss searching for water on the Moon with NASA’s Chief Scientist. Heldmann delivered a public talk in Fall 2020 for the Lunar & Planetary Institute’s Cosmic Exploration Series regarding lunar geology and NASA’s VIPER mission to the Moon. In 2019 Heldmann gave a public talk in Reykjavik, Iceland, regarding Moon and Mars exploration with humans and robots and how fieldwork in Iceland is helping to reduce risk and test scientific theories for future missions.
Heldmann served as an invited panelist at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City to discuss lunar geoscience as related to The Met’s exhibit titled “Apollo’s Muse.” She served as an invited panelist aboard the USS Hornet, that picked up the Apollo 11 astronauts after splashdown upon their return to Earth, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Apollo at a massive public event and highlighted the geologic insights gained from the Apollo program. She also gives talks to university students to share the excitement of a career in planetary geoscience, such as the Colgate University STEM Career event in NYC and an invited talk to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology regarding planetary science analog fieldwork. She was featured in “Time for Kids” magazine and routinely conducts presentations for school-age students, spreading the excitement of geoscience and geology fieldwork.
Heldmann is richly deserving of the 2021 Professional Excellence Award in Government from the Association for Women Geoscientists to be presented at the AWG Awards Ceremony, which will be held in conjunction with the Geological Society of America Meeting. In addition to inspiring early career professionals and students, Heldmann inspires the entire Ames community and agency to share our increased understanding of the universe and our place in it with the broader community, while opening doors for maximum inclusion.
