{"546481":{"#nid":"546481","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Scientist Britney Schmidt Named to Planetary Society\u2019s Board of Directors","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/schmidt.eas.gatech.edu\/dr-britney-schmidt\/\u0022\u003EBritney E. Schmidt\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor in the College of Sciences\u2019 School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, has been named to the Board of Directors of \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/planetary.org\/\u0022\u003EThe Planetary Society\u003C\/a\u003E. The world\u2019s largest nonprofit space interest organization \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.planetary.org\/press-room\/releases\/2016\/tps-welcomes-britney-schmidt-and-robert-picardo.html\u0022\u003Eannounced\u003C\/a\u003E Schmidt\u2019s appointment on June 21, 2016, together with that of actor \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.robertpicardo.com\/\u0022\u003ERobert Picardo\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESchmidt brings to The Planetary Society Board a wealth of knowledge and expertise in small bodies, solar system ices, and the habitability of ocean worlds. Schmidt has been involved with NASA Science Definition Teams for NASA missions, including the development of the Europa Flagship Mission (Clipper); the 2012 and current Europa Lander mission concepts; and the Large Ultra-Violet, Optical, Infra-Red (LUVOIR) space telescope. She is a co-investigator on the Europa Flagship Radar Instrument and an associate of the Dawn Mission. Schmidt also does field work in Antarctica, leading the development and deployment of underwater robotic vehicles beneath thick ice shelves to understand the habitability of Europa\u2019s ice shell and ocean and the fate of ice at Earth\u2019s poles.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBritney Schmidt\u0027s expertise as a scientist and her passion as an advocate will add new force to our space policy efforts to secure a robust future for space exploration,\u201d says Heidi Hammel, vice president of the Board. \u201cHer work on Europa and other research will advance our goals to explore other worlds and seek answers to questions about other life in the cosmos.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI am thrilled to be joining the\u0026nbsp;Board of\u0026nbsp;The Planetary Society,\u201d Schmidt says.\u0026nbsp;\u201cThis is a particularly exciting time, as the world moves toward a technology and space-based economy, The Planetary Society and its members are poised to make a huge impact on the direction that space\u0026nbsp;science and technology takes in the coming few decades. I can\u0027t think of a better way to help ensure the future of solar system\u0026nbsp;exploration.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESchmidt and distinguished actor Robert Picardo are the newest members of The Planetary Society Board. A long-time friend of the society\u2019s, Picardo is recognized around the globe for his portrayal of the curmudgeonly Holographic Doctor on seven seasons of \u201cStar Trek: Voyager.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResponsible for governing and setting the organization\u2019s policies and future directions, The Planetary Society\u2019s volunteer \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.planetary.org\/about\/board-of-directors\/\u0022\u003EBoard of Directors\u003C\/a\u003E is made up of leaders chosen for their passion for and knowledge of space exploration.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to Picardo, other members of the board who are household names are the society\u2019s CEO, \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.billnye.com\/\u0022\u003EBill Nye\u003C\/a\u003E, famously known as the Science Guy, and \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.haydenplanetarium.org\/tyson\/\u0022\u003ENeil deGrasse Tyson\u003C\/a\u003E, the astrophysicist presenter of the popular 2014 science documentary \u201cCosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur Board of Directors is extraordinary,\u201d says Bill Nye. \u201cWe have world-class leaders in academia, the arts, astronomy, astrophysics, planetary science, geology, investing, space policy, education, and history. There are a few patent holders, too. They bring the essential expertise and a powerful perspective that empowers the world\u2019s citizens to advance space science and exploration. That\u2019s what we do.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBritney\u2019s appointment is high recognition of her expertise in and advocacy for space exploration,\u201d says College of Sciences Dean Paul M. Goldbart. \u201cThrough Britney\u2019s seat at The Planetary Society\u2019s Board, Georgia Tech gains another channel through which its insights about space research can be shared broadly, letting the world know what Georgia Tech thinks.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"College of Sciences assistant professor joins \u201cStar Trek: Voyager\u201d actor Robert Picardo, Bill Nye The Science Guy, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECollege of Sciences assistant professor joins \u201cStar Trek: Voyager\u201d actor Robert Picardo, Bill Nye The Science Guy, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"College of Sciences assistant professor joins \u201cStar Trek: Voyager\u201d actor Robert Picardo, Bill Nye The Science Guy, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson"}],"uid":"30678","created_gmt":"2016-06-21 14:17:02","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:21:57","author":"A. Maureen Rouhi","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2016-06-21T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2016-06-21T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"546451":{"id":"546451","type":"image","title":"A veteran of Antarctic fieldwork, Britney Schmidt is keenly interested in the habitability of icy worlds to search for life beyond Earth. Photo courtesy of Britney Schmidt\/Georgia Tech.","body":null,"created":"1466532000","gmt_created":"2016-06-21 18:00:00","changed":"1475895338","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:55:38","alt":"A veteran of Antarctic fieldwork, Britney Schmidt is keenly interested in the habitability of icy worlds to search for life beyond Earth. Photo courtesy of Britney Schmidt\/Georgia Tech.","file":{"fid":"92063","name":"20160621-britney-schmidt-ice.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/20160621-britney-schmidt-ice.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/20160621-britney-schmidt-ice.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1025060,"path_740":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/20160621-britney-schmidt-ice.png?itok=a4RPb967"}},"546851":{"id":"546851","type":"image","title":"Britney Schmidt receives a pin of The Planetary Society from the CEO, currently Bill Nye, a tradition for new members of the Society\u2019s Board of Directors. Photo courtesy of Britney Schmidt.","body":null,"created":"1466690400","gmt_created":"2016-06-23 14:00:00","changed":"1475894458","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:58","alt":"Britney Schmidt receives a pin of The Planetary Society from the CEO, currently Bill Nye, a tradition for new members of the Society\u2019s Board of Directors. Photo courtesy of Britney Schmidt.","file":{"fid":"92321","name":"bill_nye.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/bill_nye.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/bill_nye.png","mime":"image\/png","size":467876,"path_740":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/bill_nye.png?itok=yS7ek0hu"}}},"media_ids":["546451","546851"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"81291","name":"Britney Schmidt"},{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"166926","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences"},{"id":"5937","name":"The Planetary Society"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA. Maureen Rouhi\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDirector of Communications\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECollege of Sciences\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["maureen.rouhi@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}