User:Mfujieh/sandbox

Jennifer Heldmann was born and raised in Syracuse, New York. She has a Bachelors degree in Astrogeophysics from Colgate University, a Masters degree in Space Studies with a Minor in Geology, and a Ph.D. in Planetary Science from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She is currently a Research Scientist at NASA Ames Research Center in California within the Space Sciences and Astrobiology Division.

Scientific Research
Heldmann’s scientific research interests focus on studies of the Moon and Mars. Her Mars research focuses on studies of recent water on the Red Planet through spacecraft data analysis, numerical modeling, and fieldwork in Mars-analog environments such as the Outback of Australia, the Canadian High Arctic, the Atacama Desert, Spitsbergen, the Mojave Desert, and Antarctica. Heldmann also studies the Moon with a focus on improving our understanding of lunar volatile deposits. She recently served on the Science Team, Payload Team, and as the Observation Campaign Coordinator for NASA’s Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) mission to study the permanently shadowed regions of the lunar poles. LCROSS successfully impacted the Cabeus crater near the lunar south pole and confirmed the presence of water ice as well as numerous other volatile species on our Moon.

Honors and Awards
Heldmann has written numerous scientific papers and book chapters and is the recipient of numerous NASA Achievement Awards including a NASA Headquarters Special Act Award, NASA Ames Honor Award, and multiple NASA Group Achievement Awards. She is committed to education and public outreach and is keen to inspire the next generation of scientists and explorers by sharing the excitement of Solar System exploration with students, teachers, and the general public whenever possible.