Senior Research Scientist
Senior Research Scientists are full time JPL-Caltech employees who have demonstrated research achievements comparable to those required for a full professorship at a major research university. This appointment recognizes those individuals whose research is of the highest quality and significance, who have had a major impact on their field, and who are widely recognized by their peers in the research community for their accomplishments.
2025
| Name | Area of Achievement |
|---|---|
| Abigail Allwood | Astrobiology and Instrument Development |
| Donald Argus | Space Geodesy |
| Laurie Barge | Planetary Habitability and Origin of Life |
| Andreas Colliander | Remote sensing of the hydrologic cycle |
| Kevin Peter Hand | Astrobiology, icy worlds (particularly Europa), and PI of the SHERLOC instrument on Perseverance |
| Felix W. Landerer | Hydrogeodesy |
| Yang Liu | Planetary Volatiles, Petrology, and Geochemistry |
| Jessica L. Neu | Chemistry and dynamics of Earth’s atmosphere |
| Mark P Panning | Planetary seismology and geophysics |
| Michael D. Seiffert | Instrumentalist for Cosmological Observations |
| Matthew D Shaw | xSuperconducting detectors for dark matter detection, optical communication, and quantum information science |
2024
| Name | Area of Achievement |
|---|---|
| Shannon Brown | Design, development, and calibration of passive radiometers for Earth and planetary science missions |
| Olivier Dore | Data-oriented cosmologist |
| Jonathan I Lunine | Planetary formation and evolution, search for life within and beyond the solar system |
| Andrey Matsko | Frequency, Timing, and Photonic Instruments |
| Charles Miller | Greenhouse Gas Spectroscopy and Remote |
| James E. Polk | Fundamental and mission-development research in plasma propulsion physics |
| Raghvendra Sahai | Multi-waveband imaging and spectroscopy of dying Sun-like stars |
| Joshua K. Willis | Sea level rise and ocean changes under a warming climate |
2023
| Name | Area of Achievement |
|---|---|
| Tzu-Ching Chang | Cosmology and Intensity Mapping |
| Ken Cooper | Submillimeter Wave Radar Science and Technology |
| Brian Drouin | Atmospheric Spectroscopy |
| Pierre Echternach | Superconducting Detectors |
| Ichiro Fukumori | Ocean Data Assimilation, Sea Level Variability and Ocean Circulation |
| Jonathan H. Jiang | Earth Atmospheric Physics; Exoplanets |
| Junjie Liu | Carbon Cycle Science |
| Nathaniel J. Livesey | Microwave Remote Sensing of Atmospheric Composition |
| Margaret Meixner | Astrophysics and Space Sciences |
| Ryan S. Park | Planetary ephemeris development and gravity field investigation |
| Karen Willacy | Astrochemistry |
2022
| Name | Area of Achievement |
|---|---|
| Amy Braverman | Uncertainty Quantification |
| Julie Castillo-Rogez | Planetary Interiors and Geophysics |
| Soon-Jo Chung | Robotics and Spacecraft Autonomy |
| Michael E. Hoenk | Device Physicist and Detector Expert |
| Douglas Hofmann | Alloy Development and Manufacturing and Metal Matric Composites |
| Laurie Leshin | Planetary Geochemistry & Astrobiology |
| Ioannis (Yiangos) Mikellides | Theory, modeling and numerical simulation of plasmas in electric rocket propulsion; particle-laden flows and aerosol-surface interactions on spacecraft |
| John Pearson | Physics of Non-Rigid Molecules |
| Carl Percival | Atmospheric Chemistry |
| Mina Rais-Zadeh | Integrated Microsensors and Microsystems |
| Sassan Saatchi | Carbon and Ecosystem Science |
| Marc Simard | Coastal Ecosystems |
| Mark R. Swain | Adaptive and Evolvable Hardware |
| Joao P. Teixeira | Earth Atmosphere, Planetary Boundary Layer and Cloud dynamics |
| David Ray Thompson | Technologist |
2021
| Name | Area of Achievement |
|---|---|
| Bruce Bills | Planetary Interiors and Geodesy |
| Eric Fielding | Earth Surface Deformation and Topography |
| Murthy S. Gudipati | Physics and Chemistry of Ices & Evolution of Organic Matter |
| Cathleen Jones | Application of Radar Remote Sensing of the Earth |
| Tong (Tony) Lee | Observations and Assimilation in Physical Oceanography |
| Dimitri Mawet | Exoplanet Discovery and Science |
| Carol A. Raymond | Planetary Geophysics |
| Linda J. Spilker | Thermal and Dynamical Studies of Planetary Rings |
| Karl Stapelfeldt | Protoplanetary and Debris Disks, Exoplanets, and Star Formation |
| Michele Vallisneri | Gravitational Astrophysics |
2017
| Name | Area of Achievement |
|---|---|
| Tapio Schneider | Climate Science |
2016
| Name | Area of Achievement |
|---|---|
| Jeffrey J. Plaut | Planetary Geology |
| Jason D. Rhodes | Astrophysics and Dark Matter Cosmology |
| Paul A. Rosen | Satellite Radar Interferometry |
| Michelle L. Santee | Remote Sensing of Atmospheric Composition |
| Daniel K. Stern | Extragalatic Astrophysics |
2015
| Name | Area of Achievement |
|---|---|
| Joel W. Burdick | Robotics, Kinematics, Mechanical Systems and Control |
| Goutam Chattopadhyay | THz Technology for Space and Earth Science |
| Scott Hensley | Radar Interferomety |
| Simon J. Hook | Earth Science with the Thermal Infrared Techniques |
| Robert A. Jacobson | Solar System Dynamics |
| Boris Karasik | Condensed Matter Physics: Superconductivity; Detectors & Mixers: Hot Electron Bolometer |
| Anthony J. Mannucci | Ionospheric and Atmospheric Remote Sensing |
| Sergio Pellegrino | Astrophysics |
| David Schimel | Ecosystems and Carbon Cycle Science |
| Nan Yu | Quantum Sensors, Optical Micro-Resonators |
| Yuk Yung | Planetary Atmospheres; Planetary Science |
2013
| Name | Area of Achievement |
|---|---|
| Steve Chesley | Solar System Dynamics |
| Peter Day | Superconducting Detectors |
| Jean-Pierre Fleurial | Solid State Energy Conversion |
| Suzanne E. Smrekar | Planetary Geophysics |
| Simon H. Yueh | Active and Passive Microwave Remote Sensing |
2012
| Name | Area of Achievement |
|---|---|
| Todd Gaier | Millimeter-wave Science Instruments |
| Charles Lawrence | Cosmology, CMB |
| Shouleh Nikzad | Optoelectronic Materials/Devices |
| John D. Prestage | Atomic Clocks, Fundamental Physics |
| Graeme L. Stephens | Radiative Transfer, Cloud Physics & Climate |
| David Z. Ting | Semiconductor Devices/Physics |
2010
| Name | Area of Achievement |
|---|---|
| Peter Eisenhardt | Infrared Astronomy and Galaxy Clusters |
| Richard Gross | Geodesy |
| Imran Mehdi | Terahertz Technology Instruments |
2009
| Name | Area of Achievement |
|---|---|
| L. Douglas Bell | Condensed Matter Physics |
| Klaus Havelund | Software Reliability, Runtime Verification |
| Abhinandan Jain | Multibody System Dynamics |
| Rosaly M. Lopes | Planetary Geology and Volcanology |
| Son Nghiem | Active and passive remote sensing, development of advanced satellite radars and radiometers, electromagnetic scattering and emission theories, and Earth sciences and applications |
| Kasthuri Venkateswaran | Molecular Microbial Diversity |
| James G. Williams | Solar System Dynamics |
2008
| Name | Area of Achievement |
|---|---|
| Richard Woo | Solar Wind |
2007
| Name | Area of Achievement |
|---|---|
| Steve A. Chien | Artificial Intelligence, Autonomous Systems |
| David Diner | Imaging Spectroradiometry and Polarimetry |
| Robert T. Pappalardo | Planetary Geophysics |
| Adrian Stoica | Adaptive and Evolvable Hardware |
| Marco C. Velli | Space Plasma Physics |
| Duane E. Waliser | Climate dynamics and modeling |
2006
| Name | Area of Achievement |
|---|---|
| Charles A. Beichman | IR Astronomy and Astrophysics |
| James Bock | Experimental Astrophysics and Cosmology |
| Bonnie Buratti | Planetary Astronomy |
| Curt Cutler | Gravitational Wave Science |
| Paul Dimotakis | Experiments, instrumentation, and simulations in Fluid Dynamics, mixing and combustion; and remote sensing |
| Dan M. Goebel | Plasma Devices, Communications |
| Paul F. Goldsmith | Millimeter/Submillimeter Astronomy |
| Matthew P. Golombek | Planetary Geology |
| Robert O. Green | Environmental Imaging Spectroscopy |
| Henry G. LeDuc | Superconducting Devices |
| Pantazis Mouroulis | - |
| Eric J. Rignot | Radar Interferometry, Glaciology |
| Geoffrey C. Toon | Atmospheric Remote Sensing |
| Robert A. West | - |
| Jonas Zmuidzinas | Submillimeter Astronomy |
2005
| Name | Area of Achievement |
|---|---|
| Erik R Ivins | - |
2004
| Name | Area of Achievement |
|---|---|
| Max Coleman | Life Detection Program |
2003
| Name | Area of Achievement |
|---|---|
| Krzysztof M. Gorski | CMB Research |
2001
| Name | Area of Achievement |
|---|---|
| Yoseph Bar-Cohen | Nondestructive Evaluation and Characterization |
| Larry Matthies | Computer vision in the field of robotics |
| Eugene Serabyn | Infrared/Millimeter Astrophysics |
2000
| Name | Area of Achievement |
|---|---|
| Sarath D. Gunapala | Semiconductor Device Research |
1999
| Name | Area of Achievement |
|---|---|
| Dariush Divsalar | Digital Communication, Information and Coding Theory |
1998
| Name | Area of Achievement |
|---|---|
| David S. Bayard | Theory & Application of Adaptive Control Systems |
1997
| Name | Area of Achievement |
|---|---|
| Josette Bellan | - |
| John T. Trauger | Space astronomy |
1995
| Name | Area of Achievement |
|---|---|
| Glenn S. Orton | Atmospheres of the Outer Planets |
1994
| Name | Area of Achievement |
|---|---|
| Lee-Lueng Fu | Physical Oceanography |
1993
| Name | Area of Achievement |
|---|---|
| Richard W. Zurek | Atmospheric Dynamics |
1991
| Name | Area of Achievement |
|---|---|
| Michael W Werner | - |
1990
| Name | Area of Achievement |
|---|---|
| Chris R. Webster | Laser Spectroscopy/Atmospheric Chemistry |
1986
| Name | Area of Achievement |
|---|---|
| Bruce T. Tsurutani | - |