R. Aileen Yingst is an American

geologist A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid, liquid, and gaseous matter that constitutes Earth and other terrestrial planets, as well as the processes that shape them. Geologists usually study geology, earth science, or geophysics, althou ...

and senior scientist for the

Planetary Science Institute The Planetary Science Institute (PSI) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit research institute based in Tucson, Arizona, focusing on planetary science. , its director is Dr. Mark V. Sykes. PSI, along with Space Science Institute (SSI) Southwest Researc ...

as well as an Investigator on the Perseverance rover's SHERLOC instrument for

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...

. She has contributed to many projects including Mars Science Library, Mars Rover Exploration, and

Mars 2020 Mars 2020 is a Mars rover mission forming part of NASA's Mars Exploration Program that includes the rover ''Perseverance'', the small robotic, coaxial helicopter '' Ingenuity'', and associated delivery vehicles. Mars 2020 was launched from Ear ...

, focusing mainly on macro/microtexture of surfaces on Mars.

Education

Yingst attended

Andrews Academy Andrews Academy is a Seventh-day Adventist secondary school (grades 9–12) located in Berrien Springs, Michigan. Andrews Academy's sister school, Ruth Murdoch Elementary School, handles students in grades K-8. Collectively, these two schools ar ...

. She earned degrees in

physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...

and

astronomy Astronomy () is a natural science that studies astronomical object, celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and chronology of the Universe, evolution. Objects of interest ...

from

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native A ...

and master and doctorate degrees in geological sciences from

Brown University Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providenc ...

Career

While in graduate school, Yingst was part of a team that received funding to work on NASA's Clementine lunar project. She also received individual

funding to study rock fragments. Yingst became Director of th
Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium
in 2001. From 2002 to 2006, she held the roles of Secretary Treasurer, Vice-chair and Chair of the Planetary Division of the

Geological Society of America The Geological Society of America (GSA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of the geosciences. History The society was founded in Ithaca, New York, in 1888 by Alexander Winchell, John J. Stevenson, Charles H. Hitchco ...

. She was elected a Fellow of the Geological Society of America in 2015. Yingst has served as Associate Principal Investigator on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover program. As of June 6, 2019 R. Aileen Yingst became the Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG) Chair. The MEPAG is a scientific community based group that helps to analyze and determine Mars exploration supporting NASA's interplanetary travel initiatives. As of February 2021, she is Principal Investigator for the lunar Heimdall camera system, and Deputy Principal Investigator on the Mars Hand Lens Imager. She is a geologist and senior scientist at the nonprofit

, am organization that partners with NASA. Her research focuses on the texture of surfaces on Mars, the Moon and other planets.

Personal life

Yingst resides in Brunswick, Maine. She is from Berrien Springs, Michigan. She is married to Ross Nova and together they have two children Joshua and Rebecca. Between 2018 and 2021 R. Aileen Yingst and her husband Ross Nova were donors supporting the Chamberlain Exterior Restoration for

Joshua L. Chamberlain Museum The Joshua L. Chamberlain Museum was the home of American Civil War general, Bowdoin College president, and Maine Governor Joshua L. Chamberlain for over 50 years. Located at the corner of Maine and Potter Streets in Brunswick, Maine, ...

Honors and awards

* International Space Ops Award for Outstanding Achievement (2010) * AIAA Haley Space Flight Award (2012) * NASA Group Achievement Award for the MER 3rd and 4th, and 5th Extended Missions (2008, 2014) * NASA Group Achievement Award for the Mars Science Laboratory MMM Camera Team (2013) * NASA Group Achievement Award for the Prime Mission Science and Operations Team (2015) * NASA Group Achievement Award for the Desert RATS Team (2011) * National Space Club Distinguished Science Award (2015) * NASA Distinguished Service Award (2014)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yingst, Aileen American women geologists Planetary scientists Dartmouth College alumni Brown University alumni NASA people Year of birth missing (living people) Living people 21st-century American women