“It was just completely awesome to hear that your [Mars] landing site, that you have been working on, got picked. And I wouldn’t have had the opportunity if it wasn’t for being a Fellow with the Virginia Space Grant Consortium.” 

Name: Shannon Cofield

VSGC Programs: VSGC Graduate Research Fellowship awardee (2017-2018 and 2018-2019)

Education: PhD candidate in the Ocean, Earth, and Atmospheric Department at Old Dominion University.

Research Interests: “My research utilizes Arctic sedimentology to reconstruct Arctic climates during glacial periods. Additionally, I work with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to develop orbital geologic maps on Mars. Our maps are being used by the MSL Curiosity rover team to plan daily science missions, and to select a final landing site for the upcoming Mars2020 Rover.”

Watch the full-frame interview (youtube) with Shannon Cofield here.

Read more about the Mars landing site here.