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Science Committee

 

J. G. Álamo Meneses

Associate Professor and former Mayor of Angra do Heroísmo

Born in Santa Cruz, Praia da Vitória, he is an Environmental Engineering graduate from the NOVA University of Lisbon with a PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering (University of Rhode Island, USA). He has served as Mayor of Angra do Heroísmo (2013-2024) and is a university professor. Former Director of the Department of Sciences at the University of the Azores, he founded the environmental association ‘Gê‑Questa’ and has published widely on water resources. He also served in the Azores Regional Government as Secretary for Environment, Education, Science, Culture and Social Affairs.

Tess Caswell

NASA Johnson Space Center

Tess is a skilled engineer, scientist, and analog astronaut from Alaska (USA). She holds a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and a PhD in Geological Sciences from Brown University. Her work includes studying ice dynamics on outer-solar-system moons and participating in weightlessness flights. She has supported both government and private space missions from mission control. As part of the HERA XI crew, she spent 30 days in a simulated space station studying isolation and stress. She is an alumna of the NASA Academy and the NASA/JPL Planetary Science Summer Seminar. Currently, at NASA Johnson Space Center, she plans spacewalks and supports Artemis lunar mission training.

Ana Z. Miller

IRNAS-CSIC

Ana is a geomicrobiologist at IRNAS-CSIC (Seville) and researcher at the HERCULES Lab (University of Évora). Her work focuses on subterranean geomicrobiology, including microbe–mineral interactions, biosignatures, and biomineralization. She investigates volcanic caves in the Canary Islands, Easter Island, Mount Etna, Galápagos, and Selvagens (Madeira). She developed sampling protocols for planetary cave exploration and ESA astronaut training. She has contributed to ESA’s PANGAEA and CAVES training campaigns. Also, leads the MICROCENO project, which explores caves in the Selvagens Islands in collaboration with ESA and National Geographic Portugal. She serves on ESA teams focused on planetary caves and future space exploration strategy.

Christyl Johnson

Andromeda Ventures

Christyl Johnson holds a BSc in Physics (Lincoln University), an MSc in Electrical Engineering (Penn State), and a PhD in Systems Engineering (George Washington University). She recently retired from NASA as a distinguished senior executive and systems engineer with 35 years of experience. Her work focused on leading large-scale technology portfolios and mission-critical innovation. She also drove complex organizational transformation at the highest levels of government. At NASA Goddard, she oversaw R&D portfolios and shaped science and technology strategy. She served at the White House OSTP as Executive Director of the National Science and Technology Council. She is currently a co-founder and general partner of Andromeda Ventures.

 

Richard Garriott de Cayeux

The Explorers Club

Richard is President of The Explorers Club. He is a pioneer of the video game and commercial spaceflight industries and a flown private astronaut. He has been inducted into the Video Game Hall of Fame and received a lifetime achievement award. He is the first explorer to travel from pole to pole, orbit Earth, and reach the deepest ocean point. The son of NASA astronaut Owen Garriott, he became the first second-generation astronaut. He has served on the NASA Advisory Council and held leadership roles in the Challenger Center, XPRIZE, and Space Adventures. He supports global exploration, scientific research, and technological innovation.

Fatma Kaplan

Pheronym

Fatma is co-founder and CEO of Pheronym. She is an entrepreneur and scientist with expertise in biology and chemistry. She holds a PhD in Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology and is trained in Natural Product Chemistry with a focus on isolating biologically active compounds. She discovered the first sex pheromone in C. elegans, published in Nature (2008). Her work showed pheromones regulate behavior in parasitic and beneficial nematodes. She worked as a scientist at NASA, the National Magnetic Field Laboratory, and the USDA. She was an Activate Berkeley Fellow & Berkeley Lab Affiliate Cyclotron Road.

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