Undergrad Alexis Jansen’s Summer Internship at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)

This summer, Alexis Jansen, senior majoring in Geoscience in SEES and minoring in Computing Science, did an internship at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California. She worked on a project with Dr. Catherine Elder and Dr. Marley Chertok to better understand the thickness of the regolith in the lunar highlands by examining cold-spot craters. This included using remote sensing images to characterize the morphology of craters, counting boulders in the ejecta, and creating maps and charts using ArcGIS Pro and Python. 

“This experience not only improved my research skills, but also helped me better understand my goals for my education and career. While at JPL, I got to connect with scientists who are part of NASA’s biggest missions as well as fellow interns with a wide range of interests. I am so grateful I had the opportunity to spend the summer at JPL and am excited to apply everything I learned to my classes and research at Iowa!”

Undergrad Jae Dancer’s Summer Internship at the Lunar and Planetary Institute

This Summer, Jae Dancer, senior majoring in Geoscience in SEES, did an internship at the prestigious Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI; https://www.lpi.usra.edu/) in Houston TX, where she immersed herself in the world of modeling mantle melting and planetary science research. Under the mentorship of Dr. J. Brian Balta, she investigated the origins of igneous-textured rocks observed and analyzed by ChemCam and MastCam imagery near the landing site of the Curiosity rover, within the Peace Vallis fan at Gale Crater, Mars. This project provided insights into the process of thermodynamic modeling using the MAGEMin software, suited for these igneous basalt compositions.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to have collaborated and learned from my mentors and peers at the Lunar and Planetary Institute and for the strong relations built throughout the course of the program. Weekly seminars with professionals from across the planetary science field additionally provided the opportunity to experience firsthand the vast and varied career paths within the field of planetary science.”

Beyond work, Jae experience was enriched by tours of renowned facilities like the Neutral Buoyancy Lab and the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) Impact Lab at NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC). 

“I wouldn't trade this experience for anything and am excited to apply these lessons learned to a future career in planetary science!”