Experts
Heidi Hammel
Senior Research Scientist, Space Science Institute
Heidi Hammel rose to the challenge of a difficult college course. Read More
NASA's funding goes into exploration, science and aeronautics, explains Heidi Hammel. Read More
Heidi Hammel says we need to raise the bar in science education. Read More
Heidi Hammel says astronomers should be well-rounded especially in math, but no one looks for straight A’s. Read More
Heidi Hammel's team of scientists put the Hubble Space Telescope "back on the map" when they captured the dramatic collision of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 with Jupiter. Hubble performed "beautifully, flawlessly, and we got spectacular images." Read More
As other planets have demonstrated, says Heidi Hammel, the threat is real. For Earth, an early warning system is critical. Read More
The dark matter conundrum will occupy us for a long time. Read More
Heidi Hammel believes religion and science are not mutually exclusive. Read More
There's a whole dynamism in these planets that Heidi Hammel did not expect. Read More
Heidi Hammel says we need to attack the problem on a societal and governmental scale. Read More
Heidi Hammel says reallocating money toward science could do us a lot of good. Read More
Despite the hurdles, women should just go for it, says Heidi Hammel. Read More
About Heidi Hammel
Heidi B. Hammel joined The Planetary Society's Board of Directors in 2005. A Senior Research Scientist with the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colorado, Hammel herself lives in Ridgefield, Connecticut.
She received her undergraduate degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1982 and her Ph.D. in physics and astronomy from the University of Hawaii in 1988. After a post-doctoral position at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Pasadena, California), Hammel returned to MIT, where she spent nearly nine years as a Principal Research Scientist in the Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences.
Hammel primarily studies outer planets and their satellites, with a focus on observational techniques. Hammel received the 2002 American Astronomical Society's Division for Planetary Sciences (AAS/DPS) Sagan Medal for outstanding communication by an active planetary scientist to the general public .