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Dr. Bethany Ehlmann has been named director of the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the 91������. LASP’s mission is to advance scientific discovery and inspire the next generation through forefront research, innovation and education.

Bethany Ehlmann

Ehlmann, currently a professor of planetary science at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and Director of Caltech’s Keck Institute for Space Studies, will begin her role as LASP’s director on September 1, 2025. Dr. Ehlmann will also hold the roles of Provost Chair in the Research and Innovation Office, Professor of Geological Sciences, and affiliate Professor of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences.

“We are honored to welcome Dr. Ehlmann, an accomplished scientist, scholar and leader, to the 91������,” said Senior Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation and Dean of the Institutes Massimo Ruzzene. “Dr. Ehlmann's expertise and compelling vision will be invaluable for LASP as it carries forward 91������'s legacy as a leading institution in the space sciences.”

“It’s an honor to be appointed to lead such a distinguished institution as LASP, with its long history of innovation in the space sciences,” said Ehlmann. “I’m excited to embrace this opportunity to work alongside LASP’s dedicated employees and leadership team to advance LASP’s mission and vision and to help guide this renowned institution into the future."

Ehlmann’s research focuses on water in the solar system, the evolution of habitable worlds, and remote sensing techniques and instruments for planetary missions. She is a science team member of multiple missions, including the Earth-orbiting EMIT imaging spectrometer; the Jupiter-bound Europa Clipper, which carries the LASP-built Europa Surface Dust Analyzer (SUDA) instrument; the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover; the Mars2020 Perseverance rover; and the upcoming ExoMars rover. She is the principal investigator of Lunar Trailblazer, a NASA small satellite mission to study water on the Moon that launched earlier this year. Previously, she was a science team member for the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter CRISM instrument, the Dawn mission during its exploration of the asteroid Ceres, and the Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity.

Active in science policy and outreach, Ehlmann is president of the board of directors of The Planetary Society. She served as a member of the National Academies Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey and the National Academies Committee on Astrobiology and Planetary Science. She is a fellow of both the American Geophysical Union and the Mineralogical Society of America, and has authored a children's book, “Dr. E's Super Stellar Solar System,” with National Geographic.

Ehlmann earned a bachelor’s degree from Washington University where she double majored in Earth & Planetary Sciences and Environmental Studies with a minor in math; two master’s degrees from the University of Oxford, in environmental change & management and geography; and master’s and doctoral degrees in geological sciences from Brown University.

“On behalf of LASP, I’d like to extend our congratulations to Dr. Ehlmann on her appointment and welcome her to our institute, where we look forward to working with her to deliver the future of space science,” said Frank Eparvier, associate director for science at LASP, who will continue to serve as interim director until Ehlmann starts.

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