Committee on the Origins and Evolution of Life

The committee organizes and provides oversight of studies on research opportunities and programs on the origin and evolution of life in the universe, including NASA’s “astrobiology” program. In particular, the committee monitors development and implementation of related research strategies, advanced technology, and research program plans when these topics do not readily fall under the auspices of an existing discipline committee. The committee may also identify topics for scientific workshops to address timely and important topics. The committee is a joint activity with the Board on Life Sciences.

Meeting Information 

February 17-19, 2010
University of Southern California,
Los Angeles, CA

December 3, 2009
Teleconference Meeting

September 1-3, 2009
Big Sky, MO

February 18-19, 2009
Washington, DC

Membership

Robert T. Pappalardo, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, co-chair
J. Gregory Ferry, Pennsylvania State University, co-chair
Stanley M. Awramik, University of California, Santa Barbara
Katrina Edwards, University of Southern California
Paul G. Falkowski, Rutgers University
Margo Haygood, Oregon Health and Science University
Dante Lauretta, University of Arizona
Antonio Lazcano, National Autonomous University of Mexico
Ralph D. Lorenz, Johns Hopkins University
Jeff Moersch, University of Tennessee
John C. Priscu, Montana State University
Sara Seager, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Barbara Sherwood-Lollar, University if Toronto
Everett Shock, Arizona State University
Cristina Takacs-Vesbach, University of New Mexico

European Space Science Committee Liaison

Frances Westall, CNRS Centre de Biophysique Moleculaire, Orleans, France

Staff

David H. Smith, Senior Program Officer
Rodney N. Howard, Senior Program Assistant