Associate Professor, Rice University

Kirsten Siebach

Dr. Kirsten Siebach is an assistant professor at Rice University, Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences, and describes herself as a Martian geologist. She has served on science and operations teams for five Mars surface missions, including Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity and Mars 2020 Perseverance, and has received seven NASA Group Achievement Awards for her scientific service and leadership. She was awarded the Harrison Schmitt Award from AAPG in 2023. She has authored over 50 scientific publications and 170 conference presentations on geologic findings from Mars and Earth, focusing on the intersection of igneous and sedimentary processes. She has co-authored three National Academy reports, including the Decadal Survey for Planetary Science, which advises NASA and Congress on current findings and future mission objectives. She earned her doctorate in geology at Caltech under Professor John Grotzinger and received her bachelor’s degree, summa cum laude, from Washington University in St. Louis, Mo.