Meet Your Organizers

Dr. Christina R. Richey is the Program Manager for Research and Technology Development in the Office of the Chief Scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Prior to joining OCS, Christina was the Program Manager of the Planetary Science Research and Analysis Office. Dr. Richey provides guidance on the proposal process for the section and division, and trains researchers within the community on best practices for proposal submission and review (including being the PI of a NASA award for proposal writing workshops) and is responsible for managing the submission of all planetary science R&A proposals. Dr. Richey is also a consultant for the Europa Clipper Mission.

In addition to their scientific activities, Dr. Richey has held several leadership positions and has actively engaged in education and public outreach opportunities. Christina is an accomplished leader and award winner in their field in dealing with anti-harassment policies and procedures and has been cited by major news agencies for their efforts within the community to create safe, inclusive environments. Christina has been awarded a Special Service Award at NASA HQ (2014) for their work within the Planetary Science community, as well as a NASA Group Achievement Award in 2020. Dr. Richey was honored with the AAS DPS Meritorious Career Service Award, the Harold Masursky Award in 2015. Dr. Richey was designated a Legacy Fellow by the American Astronomical Society (AAS) in 2019.

Contact: christina.r.richey@jpl.nasa.gov
Learn more about Christina here

Mr. Paul Propster is a seasoned-storyteller, strategy-lover, line-blurrer, dot-connector, message-driven professional. With more than 25 years in strategic communications, Paul has helped clients across industry to tell their stories. From small, women-owned businesses to energy to technology to NASA, he partners with teams to cultivate a narrative that produces greater emotional investment in stakeholders. Since 2014, Paul has been the resident “storytelling architect” for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab’s Office of Formulation, spearheading the development and establishment of a storytelling culture, methods, and tools. He led the capture of an Earth Venture mission (MAIA), a Heliopyhsics mission (SunRISE), and an Astrophysics mission (SPARCS). Also, he co-led the development and delivery of JPL’s 2018 Strategic Implementation Plan. Paul is an, old salty surfer, mountain biker, music and movie lover and enjoys spending as much time as possible at the beach. He lives in Southern California with his wife Laurie and his 3 sons.

Contact: paul.propster@jpl.nasa.gov