2015: Dr. Cathy Olkin

Dr. Cathy Olkin is a planetary scientist who studies icy outer solar system worlds. Her interests include spacecraft investigations of these worlds and, as a member of the New Horizons team, she is involved in a mission to capture our first close-up look at Pluto. Additional research interests include near-IR spectroscopy to study planetary surfaces and stellar occultation observations to investigate planetary atmospheres. She is also training to perform research aboard commercial suborbital vehicles.

Before Cathy became a planetary scientist, she attended two of the most prestigious universities for science and engineering in the United States. She received a B.S. in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1988, and went on to earn a M.S. in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford University in 1989. Later, she returned to MIT for a PhD in Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Science in 1996.

During and following her education, Cathy built a strong foundation of experience in astronomical and aeronautical research. From 1989 to 1991, she worked at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) performing orbit determination analysis for the Cassini, CRAF and Lunar Observation missions. Afterwards, while earning her PhD at MIT, she established Triton’s atmospheric structure using occultation observations, modeled the near nucleus environment on 2060 Chiron, and predicted occultation shadow paths for small-body events. Following her PhD, Cathy worked at the Lowell Observatory studying the rings of Uranus and Saturn using stellar occultation observations and STIS spectra. She also measured the mass ratio of Charon to Pluto using HST Fine Guidance Sensors, and predicted the shadow path for the July 1997 stellar occultation by Triton. In 2004, she moved on to the Southwest Research Institute to work on the New Horizons mission to Pluto. Currently, Cathy is a Co-Investigator on the Science Team, Project Manager for the Ralph instrument, Director of the Office of the PI, and Education and Public Outreach Liaison to the Science Team.

Cathy is also involved in community and educational outreach. She coached a FIRST Lego League team in 2009 and 2010, which made it to the state tournament and won the Team Spirit award. Cathy also mentors college students through Greenhouse Scholars, an organization which provides personal and financial support to high-performing, under-resourced college students. She has helped build a home for those in need, presented public talks and hands-on instruction at various schools, and given public talks at Astronomy Day events, Girl Scout Troupes and museums. During 2010-2012, she also served on the Nominating Committee for the Division of Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society.