New frontiers await scientists in every field of research, whether on land, under sea, or in space.

From our origins as humans to the origins of our Solar System, from species’ interactions in an ecosystem to Earth’s interaction with the Sun, from climate change to the possibility of life elsewhere in the Universe, sheer curiosity and passion for knowledge will always keep us at the cutting edge of exploration.

FameLab asks…how are you exploring Earth and beyond?

The History of FameLab The People of Famelab

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The People of
Famelab

Laurie Leshin

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

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Laurie Leshin became the 16th president of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in June of 2014. As president, she is committed to elevating WPI’s impact in communities worldwide.

Leshin brings to WPI over 20 years of experience as a leader in academia and government service, and an accomplished record as a space scientist. She combines a life-long love of learning and exploration with a strong track record of igniting action to advance critical institutions and programs.

Prior to joining WPI, Leshin served as the Dean of the School of Science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York. There she expanded and strengthened interdisciplinary scientific research and education, championed diversity in STEM, and significantly expanded fundraising and outreach initiatives. While at Rensselaer, Leshin continued her work as a scientist for the Mars Curiosity Rover mission and was appointed by President Obama to the Advisory Board for the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

Prior to joining Rensselaer, Leshin served as the deputy director of NASA’s Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, where she was responsible for oversight of NASA’s future human spaceflight programs and activities. Leshin also worked as the director of science and exploration at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

Before joining NASA, Leshin was the Dee and John Whiteman Dean’s Distinguished Professor of Geological Sciences at Arizona State University, where she led the development of the first-of-its-kind interdisciplinary School of Earth and Space Exploration and served as director of the Center for Meteorite Studies. While at ASU, Leshin was appointed by President Bush to serve on the Commission for the Implementation of United States Space Exploration Policy, which called for a transformation in the nation’s approach to space exploration.

Leshin is a recipient of NASA’s Outstanding Leadership Medal, NASA’s Distinguished Public Service Medal, and the Meteoritical Society’s Nier Prize. She has served on the Board of Directors of Women in Aerospace and the Council of the American Geophysical Union. In 2001 the International Astronomical Union named an asteroid in recognition of her contributions to planetary science: Asteroid 4922 Leshin.

Leshin received a B.S. in chemistry from ASU in 1987 and a Ph.D. in geochemistry from the California Institute of Technology in 1994. She is married to Dr. Jon Morse, an astrophysicist who is chief executive officer of the BoldlyGo Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing space-based science and discovery.