Research Experience and Interests:
Dr. Shannon Curry is currently involved in NASA and NSF supported research projects at the Space Sciences Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley, where she is a research scientist. Her research focus is on terrestrial planetary atmospheres, primarily in simulating the atmospheric escape and analyzing plasma data from weakly magnetized planets. She is currently a science team member for the NASA Mars Atmospheric and Volatiles EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission and a collaborator on NASA’s Nexus for Exoplanet System Science (NExSS) program.
EDUCATION
Ph.D. Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of MichiganMarch 2013
M.S. Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of MichiganMay 2010
B.S. Astrophysics, (minor in Art History) Tufts UniversityMay 2004
PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYMENT
2013-present UC Berkeley: Space Sciences Laboratory (SSL)(Berkeley, CA)
2015-presentAssistant Research Scientist IV.V
2013-2015Postdoctoral scholar
2008-2013 University of Michigan: Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences (AOSS)
Doctoral student(Ann Arbor, MI)
NASA Graduate Student Research Program Fellowship(NASA Goddard)
2005-2007 Lockheed Martin MS2
Radar Systems Engineer - SECRET Clearance (Burlington, MA)
MEADS (Medium Extended Air Defense System, contracted by NATO)
2003-2004 Yale University, Department of Astronomy
Research Assistant under Prof. Charles Bailyn(New Haven, CT)
2001-2003 Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Research Assistant in the high-energy and theoretical division (Cambridge, MA)
HONORS, FELLOWSHIPS AND AWARDS
2017 - NASA Early Career Fellowship – NASA Planetary Science Division
2016 - NASA Group Achievement award- MAVEN Science Team, June 2016
2016 - Robert H. Goddard Exceptional Achievement for Science award, as part of the MAVEN Science Team
2013 - Outstanding Student Paper Award, Spring AGU : Planetary Sciences
2010 - NASA Graduate Student Research Program Fellowship
2011 - Outstanding Student Paper Award, Fall AGU : Space Physics and Aeronomy
2008 - Deans’ Fellowship of the College of Engineering, University of Michigan
MISSIONS AND GRANTS
2013 - present MAVEN Science Team Member
2017 - PI, NASA Early Career Fellowship in Planetary Science
2017 - Co-I, NASA Planetary Science Deep Space SmallSat Studies
2016 - PI, NASA Mars Data Analysis Program (MDAP)
2016 - PI, NASA Solar System Workings (SSW)
2010 - NASA Graduate Student Research Program Fellowship
PUBLIC OUTREACH & SEMINARS
• Invited seminar: “Observing Extreme Atmospheric Escape at Mars with MAVEN”, University of Arizona, September 19th, 2017
• Invited webinar: “Mars and Venus: Terrestrial Analogues for Exoplanets”, MAVEN Public Outreach Webinar, May 24th, 2017
• Endless, Inc. professional invited speaker series: “Earth, Mars and where we go next”, San Francisco, CA, November 10, 2016
• Invited seminar: “Observing atmospheric escape at Mars with MAVEN”, NASA Ames Research Center, August 18th, 2016
• Invited Plenary speaker: MAVEN Observations of Atmospheric Loss at Mars, AAS Spring Meeting, San Diego, CA, June 2016 (oral)
• Invited seminar: “Space weather at Mars: MAVEN observations and models of ICMEs”, University of California, Santa Cruz, March 11th 2016
• Seven Hills School Honorary Guest Speaker for the semester: “Water in the Universe, What we still have to learn”, Cincinnati, OH, November 19, 2015
• Berkeley Kindergarten class Guest Speaker: “Planets and Colors”, February, 2015
• Invited seminar: “Atmospheric escape on Mars: the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution mission (MAVEN)”, • Tufts Physics Seminar (Invited), February 21st, 2014
• Invited workshop: International Space Science Institute, Bern, Switzerland, September, 2013
SELECTED REFEREED PUBLICATIONS
1.Curry, et al., MAVEN observations of enhanced atmospheric escape during space weather events, Journal of Geophysical Research (under review 2017)
2.Curry, et al., The influence of the IMF on simulated pick-up ions in the induced Martian magnetosphere, Geophysical Research Letters (under review 2017)
3.Luhmann, J. G., and 13 colleagues 2017. Martian magnetic storms. Journal of Geophysical Research (Space Physics) 122, 6185-6209.
4.Lee, C. O., and 13 colleagues 2017. MAVEN observations of the solar cycle 24 space weather conditions at Mars. Journal of Geophysical Research 122, 2768- 2794.
5.Stevenson, K. B., and 51 colleagues 2016. Transiting Exoplanet Studies and Community Targets for JWST's Early Release Science Program. Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific 128, 094401.
6.Poppe, A. R., Curry, S. M., Fatemi, S. 2016. The Phobos neutral and ionized torus. Journal of Geophysical Research (Planets) 121, 770-783.
7.Withers, P., and 19 colleagues 2016. The morphology of the topside ionosphere of Mars under different solar wind conditions: Results of a multi-instrument observing campaign by Mars Express in 2010. Planetary and Space Science 120, 24-34.
8.Lillis, R. J., and 26 colleagues 2015. Characterizing Atmospheric Escape from Mars Today and Through Time, with MAVEN. Space Science Reviews 195, 357-422.
9.Bougher, S., and 93 colleagues 2015. Early MAVEN Deep Dip campaign reveals thermo- sphere and ionosphere variability. Science 350, 0459.
10.Jakosky, B. M., and 93 colleagues 2015. MAVEN observations of the response of Mars to an interplanetary coronal mass ejection. Science 350, 0210.
11.Brain, D. A., and 19 colleagues 2015. The spatial distribution of planetary ion fluxes near Mars observed by MAVEN. Geophysical Research Letters 42, 9142-9148.
12.Leblanc, F., and 12 colleagues 2015. Mars heavy ion precipitating flux as measured by Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN. Geophysical Research Letters 42, 9135-9141.
13.Dong, C., and 19 colleagues 2015. Multi-fluid MHD study of the solar wind interaction with Mars' upper atmosphere during the 2015 March 8th ICME event. Geophysical Research Letters 42, 9103-9112.
14.Curry, S. M., and 16 colleagues 2015. Response of Mars O+ pickup ions to the 8 March 2015 ICME: Inferences from MAVEN data-based models. Geophysical Research Letters 42, 9095-9102.
15.Luhmann, J. G., and 10 colleagues 2015. Implications of MAVEN Mars near-wake measurements and models. Geophysical Research Letters 42, 9087-9094.
16.Curry, S. M., et al. 2015. Comparative pick-up ion distributions at Mars and Venus: Consequences for atmospheric deposition and escape. Planetary & Space Science 115, 35-47.
17.Poppe, A. R., Curry, S. M., 2014. Martian planetary heavy ion sputtering of Phobos. Geophysical Research Letters 41, 6335-6341.
18.Curry, S. M., Liemohn, M., Fang, X., Ma, Y., Slavin, J., Espley, J., Bougher, S., Dong, C. F. 2014. Test particle comparison of heavy atomic and molecular ion distributions at Mars. Journal of Geophysical Research (Space Physics) 119, 2328-2344.
19.Liemohn, M. W., Curry, S. M., Fang, X., Ma, Y. 2013. Comparison of high-altitude production and ionospheric outflow contributions to O+ loss at Mars. Journal of Geophysical Research (Space Physics) 118, 4093-4107.
20.Curry, S. M., Liemohn, M., Fang, X., Brain, D., Ma, Y. 2013. Simulated kinetic effects of the corona and solar cycle on high altitude ion transport at Mars. Journal of Geophysical Research (Space Physics) 118, 3700-3711.
21.Curry, S. M., Liemohn, M., Fang, X., Ma, Y., Espley, J. 2013. The influence of production mechanisms on pick-up ion loss at Mars. Journal of Geophysical Research 118, 554-569.
SELECTED PRESENTATIONS AND MEETINGS
-2017-
• Curry, S. M., et al., The influence of Mars’ magnetic topology on atmospheric escape, American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, December 2017, New Orleans, LA (oral)
• Curry, S. M., et. al., The impact of the early Sun and space weather events on the Martian atmosphere, AAS DPS Conference, Provo, Utah, October 2017 (session chair / oral)
• Curry, S.M. et al., The early and active Sun: the implications of EUV and space weather events on the Martian atmosphere, International Conference on Mars Aeronomy, 15-19 May 2017. Boulder, Colorado (oral)
• Curry, S. M. et al., MAVEN observations of the Sun and space weather events, European Geophysical Union Spring Meeting, April 2017, Vienna, Austria (oral)
• Invited, Planetary Science Vision 2050 Workshop, Washington DC, February, 2017
-2016-
• Curry, S. M., et al., Atmospheric escape at Mars during ICMEs, American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, December, San Francisco, CA, 2016 (oral)
• Invited, Impact of Exoplanetary Space Weather On Climate and Habitability, NASA’s Nexus
for Exoplanet System Science (NExSS) Workshop Without Walls, New Orleans, Nov 2016
• Curry, S. M., et al. Sputtering at Mars: MAVEN observations of heavy ion precipitation, DPS / EPSC Conference, Pasadena CA, November 2016 (session chair/oral)
• Invited, MAVEN Plasma and Fields (PFP) Workshop, Toulouse, France, July 5th-8th, 2016
• Invited Plenary speaker: MAVEN Observations of Atmospheric Loss at Mars, AAS Spring Meeting, San Diego, CA, June 2016 (oral)
• Curry, S. M., et al. MAVEN Observations of Atmospheric Loss at Mars, Invited speaker at UC Berkeley Physics Seminar, Berkeley CA, May 2016 (oral)
• Curry, S., et al., ICME events at Mars: MAVEN observations and models, European Geophysical Union Spring Meeting 2016, April 18-22, 2016 Vienna, Austria
-2015-
• Curry, S. M., et al., Consequences of simulated ion precipitation and sputtering during extreme conditions at Mars: comparison to MAVEN observations, American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, December 2015, San Francisco, CA
• Curry, S. M., et. al., MAVEN data-model comparison of the response of heavy pick-up ions during extreme conditions at Mars, AAS Division of Planetary Science (DPS) Conference, Washington DC, November 2015 (oral)
• Curry, S. M., et al., ICME effects - Data-model comparison with high energy heavy ions, Mars Upper Atmosphere Network (MUAN) meeting, Lancaster, UK, September 2015 (oral)
• Curry, S. M., et al., Data-Model Comparisons of Planetary Ions at Mars, European Planetary Science Committee meeting, Nantes, France, September 2015 (session chair)
• Curry, S. M., et al., Maven Data-Model Comparisons Of Planetary Ions, Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, March, 2015, The Woodlands, Texas, (oral / session chair)
-2014-
• Curry, S. M. , C.F. Dong, J. Luhmann, Y. Ma, S. Bougher, R. Modolo, F. Leblanc, The response of heavy planetary ions at Mars to reversals of the IMF, American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, December 2014, San Francisco, CA (oral)
• Curry, S. , J. Luhmann, R. Livi, T. Hara, C. F. Dong, Y. Ma, J. McFadden, S. Bougher, Simulated orbits of heavy planetary ions at Mars for different IMF configurations, AAS Division of Planetary Science (DPS) Conference, Tucson, AZ, November 9-14, 2014 (oral)
• Curry, S. J. Luhmann, Y. Ma, C. F. Dong, D. A. Brain, The influence of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) on atmospheric escape at Mars, 8th International Mars Conference, Pasadena, CA July 14-18, 2014
• Curry, S. J. Luhmann, Y. Ma, C. F. Dong, M. Liemohn, Kinetic and Fluid Treatments of Plasma Interactions with Weakly Magnetized Planetary Bodies, 6th Alfven Conference: Plasma Interactions with Solar System Objects, London, UK July 7-11, 2014 (oral)
SCIENTIFIC SERVICE
Journals
Reviewer for Journal of Geophysical Research
Reviewer for Geophysical Research Letters
Reviewer for Planetary & Space Science
AAS Astronomy Ambassador (DPS)
NASA Headquarters Proposal Review Panel
Chair and panel member
o Cassini / New Horizons Data Analysis Program (C/NH DAP)
o Emerging Worlds
o Planetary Data, Archiving, Restoration and Tools (PDART)
o Planetary Instrument Concepts for the Advancement of Solar System Observations (PICASSO)
o Mars Data Analysis Program (MDAP)
o NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship (NESSF)
o Astrobiology Science and Technology for Instrument Development (ASTID)
o Planetary Instrument Definition and Development Program (PIDDP)
o Mars Fundamental Research Program (MFRP)
o Solar System Workings (SSW)
Communicating With Washington June 18-19, 2012
American Astronomical Society congressional visit to address planetary science funding
College of Engineering Graduate Student Advisory Committee Spring 2012-present
University of Michigan, GSAC member (by selection)