Kelsi Singer

Kelsi N. Singer (born 1984), Ph.D., is an American planetary scientist and senior research scientist at the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in Boulder, CO. She is a co-investigator and deputy project scientist of NASA's New Horizons mission studying the geomorphology and geophysics of the Pluto system and of Arrokoth (2014 MU69).

Kelsi N. Singer
Alma materWashington University in St. Louis (Ph.D), University of Colorado at Boulder (B.A.)
AwardsAAS Division of Planetary Science Urey Prize
Scientific career
Fieldsplanetary science, geophysics, geomorphology, solar system astronomy
InstitutionsSouthwest Research Institute
ThesisIcy Satellite Tectonic, Geodynamic and Mass Wasting Surface Features: Constraints on Interior Processes and Evolution (2013)
Doctoral advisorWilliam McKinnon
Websitehttps://sites.google.com/site/kelsisinger/

Education

Singer received a Bachelor's in Astronomy and Anthropology from the University of Colorado Boulder. While there, she decided to pursue research in the fields of astrobiology and planetary science.[1] She studied abroad at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia during her undergrad, where she worked at the Australian Centre for Astrobiology. Upon returning to Boulder, she worked with Steve Mojzsis on her honors thesis project about using cyclic rhythmites as a way to trace the length of a day over millions of years. She received her Ph.D in Earth and Planetary Science, Icy Satellite Tectonic, Geodynamic, and Mass Wasting Surface Features: Constraints on Interior Processes and Evolution, in 2013 from Washington University in St. Louis.[2]

Research

Singer continued as a postdoctoral researcher at Washington University after receiving her Ph.D. In 2014, she joined the New Horizons team at SwRI as a postdoctoral researcher, where she studies the geophysics of Kuiper Belt Objects, particularly cratering physics.[3] At SwRI, she is a senior research scientist and Deputy Project Scientist for the New Horizons Extended Mission.

In 2019, Singer and her team demonstrated from images of craters taken by New Horizons' Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LoRRI) that small Kuiper Belt Objects (less than one mile in diameter) are rare.[4][5][6][7][8] The results place constraints on formation and evolution models of the Solar System, suggesting that objects in the Kuiper Belt formed from rapidly collapsing dust clouds rather than incremental collisions of larger debris.[6]

Singer has coordinated and contributed to the 'Women in Planetary Science' blog site since 2009.[9] She has also contributed articles for the Planetary Society's website.[10]

Awards and Honors

Singer received the American Astronomical Society (AAS) Division of Planetary Science (DPS) Harold C. Urey Prize in 2019,[11] which recognizes outstanding achievements in planetary science by early career researchers. Asteroid 10698 Singer was named in her honor.[12] The naming was published by the Minor Planet Center on 13 April 2017 (M.P.C.103977).[13]

References
  1. Gardner-Vandy, Kat (2011-05-09). "Kelsi Singer: do research as an undergraduate, and embrace the rewards of grad school". Women in Planetary Science: Female Scientists on Careers, Research, Space Science, and Work/Life Balance. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
  2. Singer, Kelsi (2013-04-25). "Icy Satellite Tectonic, Geodynamic and Mass Wasting Surface Features: Constraints on Interior Processes and Evolution". All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs). doi:10.7936/K7BG2M1T.
  3. Courier, Left Hand Valley. "Niwot's Kelsi Singer is a planetary star". Left Hand Valley Courier. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
  4. Singer, K. N.; McKinnon, W. B.; Gladman, B.; Greenstreet, S.; Bierhaus, E. B.; Stern, S. A.; Parker, A. H.; Robbins, S. J.; Schenk, P. M.; Grundy, W. M.; Bray, V. J. (2019-03-01). "Impact craters on Pluto and Charon indicate a deficit of small Kuiper belt objects". Science. 363 (6430): 955–959. doi:10.1126/science.aap8628. ISSN 0036-8075. PMID 30819958.
  5. "New Horizons data indicates small Kuiper Belt Objects are rare". SpaceFlight Insider. 2019-03-03. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
  6. "Battle Scars on Pluto and Charon Reveal the Solar System's Origins". www.pbs.org. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
  7. "Crater counts on Pluto, Charon show small Kuiper Belt objects surprisingly rare". ScienceDaily. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
  8. "Pluto and Charon Don't Have Enough Small Craters". Universe Today. 2019-03-09. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
  9. "Kelsi Singer". Women in Planetary Science: Female Scientists on Careers, Research, Space Science, and Work/Life Balance. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
  10. "Kelsi Singer". The Planetary Society. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
  11. "2019 Prize Recipients | Division for Planetary Sciences". dps.aas.org. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
  12. "(10698) Singer = 1981 EJ43 = 1988 DM5 = 1993 RT20". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
  13. "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". www.minorplanetcenter.net. Retrieved 2020-11-12.
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