Kirsten Siebach Martian Geologist

Bio

Kirsten Siebach is an Assistant Professor in the Rice University Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences and calls herself a Martian Geologist. She researches "source-to-sink" sedimentary processes on Mars and early Earth to interpret the history of water and surface environments early in our solar system. She is currently a member of the Science and Operations Teams for the Mars 2020 rover Perseverance and the Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity, and previously worked on the science and engineering teams for the Phoenix Lander and the two Mars Exploration Rovers.

Kirsten completed her PhD in Geology at Caltech with Professor John Grotzinger with a dissertation titled “Formation and Diagenesis of Sedimentary Rocks in Gale Crater, Mars”, and then did postdoctoral research in geochemistry of Martian sediments with Professor Scott McLennan at Stony Brook University. Prior to Caltech, she attended Washington University in St. Louis, where she worked with Professor Ray Arvidson and graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Earth & Planetary Science and Chemistry.

She is also actively engaged in promoting education and outreach related to Earth and Planetary science and regularly presents at schools and outreach events. Outside of professional interests, she loves travel and photography (on Earth as well as Mars), and enjoys swimming, hiking, and puzzles.

Press

• Rice scientist joins next Mars adventure
• Rice geologist to operate Mars Perseverance rover - Houston Chronicle
• The Map That Changed the World - Verso, Huntington Blogs
• Deep Water May Have Surrounded Ancient Mars Mountain - National Geographic
• CuriousMars: Box Shaped Martian Features and Deep Water Lake Deposits Offer New Rover Destinations - SpaceRef
• Out of This World: Six women science stars who are part of the recently launched Mars Curiosity mission exemplify Washington University’s excellent training in the sciences - Washington University in St. Louis
• Life on Mars? Mars rover Curiosity will be on the lookout - St. Louis Beacon
• Kirsten Siebach: Outstanding Graduate in the College of Arts & Sciences - Washington University in St. Louis
• WU Efforts take NASA to Mars - Student Life, Washington University in St. Louis