Dr. John Rummel, Senior Scientist for Astrobiology at NASA Headquarters, has announced that he is leaving NASA at the end of August to take a position with East Carolina University as Director of its Institute for Coastal Science and Policy.

The Institute for Coastal Science and Policy was established to initiate, promote, and coordinate interdisciplinary research on all aspects of riverine, estuarine, coastal, and shallow marine environments. Its goal is to enhance understanding of the complex interactions between human behavior and the coastal environment and its resources, and to draw on this understanding to develop sound public policy.

Under Dr. Rummel’s leadership, the NASA Astrobiology Program has regrown from the $31.3 million funding level imposed on it in FY 2006 to the approximately $50 million level anticipated for FY 2009.

“Astrobiology has been a great program to work on, and it and other experience at NASA has helped me to appreciate life in a cosmic context. Now I will try to reinvest some of that experience into research and policy work in an area that is essential to the quality of life (for humans) on Earth,” noted Dr. Rummel.

NASA will conduct a nationwide search to replace Dr. Rummel as Senior Scientist for Astrobiology. In the interim, Dr. Mary Voytek of the U.S. Geological Survey will act as Senior Scientist, joining the ongoing HQ program team of Drs. Michael New and Natasha Johnson. In addition, Dr. Catharine Conley will join the team as Program Scientist for the Astrobiology Small Payloads program established under NASA’s omnibus Science Mission Directorate’s Stand-Alone Missions of Opportunity Notice (SALMON) announcement of opportunity (AO).

“I am really interested in joining the Astrobiology effort at this fascinating time in history, when we’re learning so much about Mars, Europa, and even worlds like Titan and Enceladus as possible environments for life,” said Dr. Voytek.

Look for Mary Voytek at NASA HQ no later than 15 September 2008, and continued interest in Astrobiology from all quarters in FY 2009 and beyond!