Lisa Gaddis Awarded Shoemaker Medal for Lifetime Achievement
July 18, 2022
The Lunar and Planetary Institute’s (LPI’s) Lisa Gaddis is this year’s recipient of the Eugene Shoemaker Distinguished Scientist Medal presented by NASA’s Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI). The award is given annually to a scientist who has significantly contributed throughout their career to understanding the Moon and other small bodies in our solar system.
"We’re so proud and honored to have Dr. Lisa Gaddis as the recipient of this year’s Shoemaker Medal,” said Greg Schmidt, director of NASA SSERVI. “Her long history of scientific work and leadership in planetary science, her significant involvement in missions, and her leadership within institutions serving this community all make her extremely qualified for this medal."
The first Eugene Shoemaker Distinguished Scientist Medal was given posthumously to Eugene Shoemaker in 2009. The medal was presented to Gene’s wife and scientific collaborator, Carolyn Shoemaker. The award includes a framed certificate and a medal with the Shakespearian quote, “And he will make the face of heaven so fine, that all the world will be in love with night.”
Dr. Lisa Gaddis, Director, Lunar and Planetary Institute.
As Director of the LPI, Dr. Gaddis provides scientific leadership and management of the research and operations at the LPI in support of NASA’s strategic goals in planetary science and solar system exploration. Prior to her appointment at the LPI, she was at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Astrogeology Science Center in Flagstaff, Arizona, where she worked since 1990 as a scientist, administrator, and supervisor. Both Gene and Carolyn Shoemaker were Lisa’s colleagues and friends at USGS, making it a very special honor for her to receive this award.
Dr. Gaddis brings broad scientific expertise spanning geology and geophysics, remote sensing, planetary science, space mission planning and operations, cartography, and data archiving. Her research interests include analyzing the composition, physical properties, and geologic history of planetary surfaces in our solar system, using remote sensing data at a variety of wavelengths.
A prolific author, she has published numerous papers in various scientific journals, several book chapters, and served on several committees and advisory groups for NASA on national and international space science and exploration plans. She is a Fellow of the Geological Society of America, and a recipient of the U.S. Department of the Interior Honor Award for Meritorious Service.
The prize is presented along with invited lectures from the recipient at the annual NASA Exploration Science Forum at the University of Colorado Boulder in Colorado on July 19–21, 2022.
For more information, visit https://sservi.nasa.gov/awards/shoemaker.
