NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship (NESSF) Program - 2009

NASA has completed its evaluation of the 2009 applications to the NASA Earth and
Space Science (NESSF) Fellowship Program. A total of 439 applications were received
in response to the November 2008 announcement among Earth Science Research,
Heliophysics Research, Planetary Science Research, and Astrophysics Research – the
four research programs of the Science Mission Directorate (SMD) at NASA
Headquarters.

The SMD science divisions made respective selection of applications for award on a
competitive basis. Criteria for evaluation included: (a) the scientific merit of the
proposed research; (b) the relevance of the proposed research to NASA’s objectives in
Earth or space science; and (c) academic excellence based upon an applicant's transcripts,
the letter of recommendation by the student's academic advisor, and the degree to which
it supported the proposed research. Evaluation was conducted via either mail or panel
review, or both, or by the relevant expertise in the science divisions of SMD.

A total of 98 new students have been identified to receive fellowships for 2009, pending
acceptance by each applicant and their respective institution. Fellowship selections were:

Number of Number of
Applications Selections

Earth Science Research 274 64

Heliophysics Research 22 4
Planetary Science Research 65 22
Astrophysics Research 78 8

The purpose of the NESSF is to ensure continued training of a highly qualified workforce
in disciplines required to achieve NASA’s scientific goals. Awards resulting from the
competitive selection are made in the form of training grants to the respective universities
and educational institutions, with the faculty advisor serving as the principal investigator.

NESSF awards are made initially for one year and may be renewed for no more than two
additional years, contingent upon satisfactory progress, as reflected in academic
performance, research progress, and recommendation by the faculty advisor, and the
availability of funds. An award is $30,000 per annum, including $24,000 student stipend
and an allowance of up to $6,000, consisting of $3,000 for student expenses and $3,000
for university expenses.

The student allowance may be used for tuition; fees; travel in support of the research
investigation to conferences, symposia, or collaborative meetings; books; expendable
laboratory supplies; page charges for journal articles; printing of a thesis; health
insurance; and other similar expenses related to the proposed research investigation. The
university allowance may be used for tuition or research expenses, if agreed upon by the
student and faculty advisor; it may also support research-related travel for the advisor
(i.e. to accompany the student to a scientific meeting, oversee the student’s research,
etc.); or by the student. The budget in these two allowance categories may be exchanged,
as long as the total sum for the two combined allowance categories does not exceed
$6,000.

An individual accepting this award may not concurrently receive other Federal
fellowships or traineeships. However, NASA may allow an applicant to receive
supplements from other U.S. Federal agencies to cover expenses not covered by NASA's
graduate fellowships; for example, the purchase of equipment, which is not permitted
through a NASA fellowship.

The names of the students and their faculty advisors, institutions, and proposal titles of
the 2009 NESSF recipients are listed below.

The announcement for 2010 NESSF is anticipated in November 2009. The release will
be posted at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/, and the deadline for submission of new
applications to NASA will be February 1, 2010.

Inquiries about the program may be directed to:

Program Administrator for NESSF Earth Science Research – Anne Crouch at (202) 358-
0855 or by E-mail at hq-nessf-Earth@nasa.gov.

Program Administrator for NESSF Heliophysics Research, Planetary Science Research,

and Astrophysics Research – Dolores Holland at (202) 358-0734 or by E-mail at
hq-nessf-Space@nasa.gov.

Earth Science Research

Asch, Rebecca (Student); Dave Checkley (Advisor); University of California San Diego
Climate Change and the Phenology of Plankton and Fish Production Inferred from
Observations from Space and Sea

Axson, Jessica (Student); Veronica Vaida (Advisor); University of Colorado

Atmospheric Processing of Methylglyoxal and Glyoxal in Aqueous Environments

Barnhart, William (Student); Rowena Lohman (Advisor); Cornell University

InSAR Time-Series Investigation of the Seismic Cycle in Iran

Benson, Michael (Student); Kamal Sarabandi (Advisor); University of Michigan

Differential InSAR Over Vegetative Terrain for the Detection and Prediction of
Earthquakes
Bernardes, Sergio (Student); Marguerite Madden (Advisor); University of Georgia
Vegetation Responses to Extreme Climatic Events: Changes in Primary Productivity,
Vegetation and Drought Indices in the Southeast United States Following the 2006-2009
Drought

Bova, Anthony (Student); Gil Bohrer (Advisor); Ohio State University

Incorporating the Effects of Tree-Scale Land-Surface Heterogeneity on Litter Moisture
for use in Regional Models of Wildland Fire Dynamics and Fire Risk

Brandt, Jodi (Student); Volker Radeloff (Advisor); University of Wisconsin - Madison

Land Use and Land Cover Change in Southwest China's Himalayan Mountains
and the Implications for Alpine Meadows, Forest Ecosystems, and Avian
Biodiversity

Brun, Julien (Student); Ana Barros (Advisor); Duke University

Using Satellite Data to Characterize the Role of Tropical Cyclones in the Ecohydrology
of the Southeast US

Bryant, Ann (Student); Thomas Painter (Advisor); University of Utah

Radiative Forcing by Desert Dust in Snowmelt-Dominated Hydrologic Systems from
Coupled Satellite and In Situ Measurements

Burgess, Evan (Student); Richard Forster (Advisor); University of Utah

Mechanisms of Alaskan Glacier Motion Through Observation of Surface Velocities and
Ice Thickness

Carter, Neil (Student); Jack Liu (Advisor); Michigan State University

Coupled Human and Natural System Approach to Studying Tiger-Human Interactions in
Chitwan National Park, Nepal and Beyond

Chatterjee, Abhishek (Student); Anna Michalak (Advisor); University of Michigan

Geostatistical Data Assimilation for the Orbiting Carbon Observatory

Culbert, Patrick (Student); Volker Radeloff (Advisor); University of Wisconsin -

Madison
Image Texture and Lidar Measurements of Horizontal and Vertical Vegetation Structure
as Predictors of Bird Biodiversity

Diao, Minghui (Student); Mark Zondlo (Advisor); Princeton University

Aircraft-Based Measurements of Ice Supersaturated Regions in the Upper Troposphere
and Lower Stratosphere and Comparisons to AIRS Climatologies

Dolan, Katelyn (Student); George Hurtt (Advisor); University of New Hampshire

Assimilating NAFD and GLAS Data in the Ecosystem Demography (ED) Model to
Investigate the Role of Regional Forest Disturbance and Recovery Dynamics on the
Carbon Cycle
Domaszczynski, Piotr (Student); Witold Krajewski (Advisor); University of Iowa
Developing Precipitation Algorithms for a Mobile Network of Polarimetric X-band
Radars for GPM Validation

Dronova, Iryna (Student); Peng Gong (Advisor); University of California, Berkeley

Analysis of Spatio-temporal Association Between Plant Functional Diversity and
Flooding at Poyang Lake, PRC using Remote Sensing and Simulation-Based Modeling

Firing, Yvonne (Student); Teresa Chereskin (Advisor); Scripps Institution of

Oceanography, UCSD
Dynamics of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current in Drake Passage

Fisher, G. (Student); Bodo Bookhagen (Advisor); University of California, Santa Barbara

ASTER-Derived River Widths and their Spatial Implications for Erosion in the
Tectonically Active Himalaya

Goodwin, Deb (Student); John Morrison (Advisor); University of New Hampshire

Satellite-Derived Fluorescence Quantum Yields as Indicators of Phytoplankton
Physiology

Hoy, Elizabeth (Student); Eric Kasischke (Advisor); University of Maryland

The Influence of Fire-Free Interval on Carbon Cycling in the Alaskan Boreal Forest

Huang, Kuan (Student); Michael Bender (Advisor); Princeton University

Net Community Production and the f-Ratio off the Western Antarctica Peninsula:
Estimates from Measurements of O2 Properties and Satellite-Based Data

Hunter, Maria (Student); Michael Keller (Advisor); University of New Hampshire

Measurement and Modeling of Natural Disturbance and Recovery in the Brazilian
Amazon using Airborne and Spaceborne LIDAR

Jiang, Yan (Student); Timothy Dixon (Advisor); University of Miami

Measuring Accelerating Uplift of Greenland Due to Rapid Glacier Melting with GPS and
InSAR

Jonko, Alexandra (Student); Karen Shell (Advisor); Oregon State University

Comparing Feedbacks in Climate Models with Satellite Observations using the Radiative
Kernel Technique

Jung, Hahn Chul (Student); Douglas Alsdorf (Advisor); The Ohio State University
Hydraulic Modeling in the Congo Wetland Using Spaceborne Data

Karamperidou, Christina (Student); Upmanu Lall (Advisor); Columbia University

Dynamics of the Hydrologic Cycle in a Changing Climate: Interactions of Low
Frequency Climate Mechanisms and Hydrologic Extremes
Karmosky, Chris (Student); Derrick Lampkin (Advisor); Penn State University
Meso-Scale Climate Controls on Antarctic Ice Shelf Melt Dynamics: Climate Modeling
and Novel Retrieval of Melt Magnitude using MODIS

Kefauver, Shawn (Student); Susan Ustin (Advisor); University of California, Davis

Remote Sensing of Bio-Indicators for Forest Health Assessment

Larsen, Isaac (Student); David Montgomery (Advisor); University of Washington

Quantifying Spatial Patterns in Landslide Frequency to Assess Coupling Among Erosion,
Climate, and Tectonics

Leppert II, Kenneth (Student); Daniel Cecil (Advisor); University of Alabama Huntsville
"Electrically-Hot" Convection and its Relation to Tropical Cyclogenesis and
Intensification

Liang, Calvin (Student); Kuo Nan Liou (Advisor); University of California, Los Angeles
A Unified Multi-Sensor Perspective On Upper-Tropospheric Hydration

Maggioni, Viviana (Student); Emmanouil Anagnostou (Advisor); University of

Connecticut
Investigating the Impact of Improved Model Error Characterization on the Assimilation
of Remotely Sensed Soil Moisture in a Land Data Assimilation System

Martin, Andrew (Student); Tiruvalam Krishnamurti (Advisor); Florida State University

Impact of South Asian Aerosol Pollutants on Monsoonal Rainfall and Onset

Martinez, Matthew (Student); Chandra V Chandrasekar (Advisor); Colorado State

University
NASA Earth Sciences Fellowship for Matthew Martinez

Meland, Brian (Student); Paul Kleiber (Advisor); University of Iowa

A Combined Laboratory and Modeling Study of the Optical Properties of Mineral Dust
Aerosol

Munzimi, Yolande (Student); Matthew Hansen (Advisor); South Dakota State University
Hydrological Response to Land Cover and Land use Change in the Congo Basin

Murray, Lee (Student); Daniel Jacob (Advisor); Harvard University School of

Engineering and Applied Sciences
Quantifying the Chemistry-Climate Impact of Lightning NOx Emissions as Constrained
from Satellite Observations and Inverse Modeling Techniques

Ortt, Derek (Student); Shuyi Chen (Advisor); University of Miami

Improving Understanding and Prediction of Tropical Cyclogensis Using NASA Satellite
Data and High-Resolution Numerical Models
Palmer, Molly (Student); Kevin Arrigo (Advisor); Stanford University
Modeling Primary Productivity and Carbon Cycling in the Beaufort Sea, Canadian
Arctic, using a Multi-Satellite Approach

Peterson, David (Student); Jun Wang (Advisor); University of Nebraska

The Interannual Variability of Biomass Burning in North America using MODIS Data:
Fire Weather Forecasting Applications

Raleigh, Mark (Student); Jessica Lundquist (Advisor); University of Washington

Spatial Patterns of Mountain Snow Accumulation: Comparing MODIS with Distributed
Ground-based Sensors

Reager, John (Student); James Famiglietti (Advisor); University of California, Irvine

Applications of a Frequency-Domain Terrestrial Water Balance using GRACE

Rittger, Karl (Student); Jeff Dozier (Advisor); Donald Bren School of Environmental
Science & Management
Improving Runoff Forecasting in the Sierra Nevada with Enhanced Estimates of Snow
Cover Properties

Robinson, Carly (Student); Jose-Luis Jimenez (Advisor); University of Colorado

Development and Application of a Soft-Ionization Technique for In-Situ Organic Aerosol
Analysis

Rosolem, Rafael (Student); William Shuttleworth (Advisor); University of Arizona

Impact of Vegetation Phenology on Amazonian Energy, Water, and Carbon Exchanges:
Integration of Field Experiments, Satellite Remote Sensing, and Land Surface Modeling

Salmon, Jessica (Student); Mark Friedl (Advisor); Boston University

Future Trend of Irrigation Water Demand Using Integrated Remote Sensing and Physical
Models

Sass, Louis (Student); Michael Loso (Advisor); Alaska Pacific University

Dynamic Response of Eklutna Glacier to Climate Change: Implications for Water Supply
and Hydropower for Anchorage, AK

Schenkel, Benjamin (Student); Robert Hart (Advisor); Florida State University

Bridging the Gap Between Climate and TCs: Refinement of TC Climate Memory Using
MERRA and Its Use Toward an SST Memory Parameterization

Smith, John (Student); Xinzhao Chu (Advisor); University of Colorado

Whole Atmosphere LIDAR for Study of Whole-Atmosphere Waves and Dynamics

Sneed, William (Student); Gordon Hamilton (Advisor); University of Maine

Remote Sensing of Meltwater on the Greenland Ice Sheet
Stephenson, Gordon (Student); Sarah Gille (Advisor); University of California, San
Diego
Mixed-Layer Depth Variability in Drake Passage

Stevenson, Samantha (Student); Baylor Fox-Kemper (Advisor); University of Colorado

Understanding Decadal ENSO Variability in a Warming World

Stukel, Michael (Student); Michael Landry (Advisor); Scripps Institution of

Oceanography
Validation of Remotely Sensed Carbon Sequestration Rates in the California Current

Su, Lin (Student); Owen Toon (Advisor); University of Colorado

Modeling of Asian Dust Aerosols using a Coupled Microphysical/Climate Model

Ten Hoeve, John (Student); Mark Jacobson (Advisor); Stanford University

An Analysis of the Impacts of Biomass Burning Aerosols on Clouds and Precipitation
over Amazonia: Combining Results of a 3D Weather Model, Ground-Based
Measurements, and Satellite Data to Expand upon Current Observational Studies

Trochim, Erin (Student); Anupma Prakash (Advisor); University of Alaska Fairbanks

A Fellowship: Characterizing Water Tracks in Headwater Drainage Basins of the
Alaskan Arctic

Valin, Lukas (Student); Ronald Cohen (Advisor); University of California, Berkeley

Satellite Observations at High Space and Time Resolution: Understanding Requirements
for Assessing Urban-Scale NOx and O3

Wagner, Penelope (Student); Hongjie Xie (Advisor); University of Texas at San

Anotonio
The Development of NASA QuickSCAT Scatterometer Data to Detect Sea Ice Extent
and Variability in the Antarctic

Walter, Jacob (Student); Slawek Tulaczyk (Advisor); University of California, Santa

Cruz
Dynamics of Ice Sheet Calving and Sliding Processes Investigated Using Seismology,
GPS and Remote Sensing

Wang, Yuan (Student); Renyi Zhang (Advisor); Texas A&M

Investigation of the Effects of the Asian Pollution Outflow on Winter Storms over the
North Pacific

Wilson, Adam (Student); John Silander (Advisor); University of Connecticut

Fire, Phenology, and Weather: Implications of Climate Change in Mediterranean
Ecosystems
Wortham, Cody (Student); Howard Zebker (Advisor); Cody Wortham
Rapid Repeat Vector Deformation InSAR from the UAVSAR and Satellite Platforms

Yang, Yu-Ming (Student); James Garrison (Advisor); Purdue University

A Study of Wavelet Approaches to the Detection of Ionospheric Disturbances

Heliophysics Research

Gkioulidou, Malamati (Student); Larry Lyons (Advisor); University of California, Los

Angeles
Transport of Plasma Sheet Particles into the Inner Magnetosphere, Associated Region-2
Field-Aligned Current System and Electric Field, and Their Relation to Substorms and
Storms: Simulations with the Rice Convection Model

Pedatella, Nicholas (Student); Jeffrey Forbes (Advisor); University of Colorado

Plasmasphere Evolution Based on Constellation Observing System for Meteorology,
Ionosphere and Climate (COSMIC) Vertical Total Electron Content Observations

Schmit, Donald (Student); Mark Rast (Advisor); University of Colorado

Modeling the Energetics of the Dynamic Solar Atmosphere

Zhao, Liang (Student); Len Fisk (Advisor); University of Michigan

Analysis of the Current Unusual Solar Minimum

Planetary Science

Bai, Xuening (Student); James Stone (Advisor); Princeton University

Magnetorotational Instability and Planetesimal Formation in Protoplanetary Disks.

Bans, Alissa (Student); Arieh Konigl (Advisor); Department of Astronomy &

Astrophysics
Radiative Properties and Observational Diagnostics of Protoplanetary Accretion Disks

Chemtob, Steven (Student); George Rossman (Advisor); Caltech

The Development and Evolution of Silica Deposits in Martian Analog Volcanic
Environments: Observation and Experiment

Citron, Robert (Student); Thomas McCollom (Advisor); University of Colorado

Astrobiological Potential of Impacts on the Icy Surfaces of Mars, Titan, and Europa

de Moor, Maarten (Student); Penelope King (Advisor); University of New Mexico

An Investigation to Constrain Martian Sulfur Isotope Signatures by Studying an
Analogue Volcanic System
Desroche, Mariel (Student); Frances Bagenal (Advisor); University of Colorado
Modeling the Outer Magnetosphere of Jupiter and its Coupling to the Solar Wind

Fleshman, Bobby (Student); Edward Baron (Advisor); University of Oklahoma

Saturn's Inner Magnetosphere: Modeling and Data Comparison

Gardner-Vandy, Kathryn (Student); Dante Lauretta (Advisor); Arizona Board of Regents,

University of Arizona
Melting of Oxidized Asteroids

Gomes, Maya (Student); Matthew Hurtgen (Advisor); Northwestern University

Sulfur Isotope Fractionations in Modern Lakes: Implications for Reconstructing the
Chemical Evolution of the Precambrian Earth Surface

Graves, Sonja (Student); Tapio Schneider (Advisor); California Institute of Technology

The Climate and Seasonal Cycle on Titan: Atmospheric Dynamics and Methane Cycle

Halevy, Itay (Student); Daniel Schrag (Advisor); Harvard University

Radiative Transfer in CO2-Rich Paleoatmospheres and the Early Climates of Earth and
Mars

Haque, Aeraj (Student); David Porterfield (Advisor); Purdue University

Gravitational Physiology of the Photoautotroph Cyanobacteria: A Novel Study with a
Pharmasat Compatible Lab-on-a-Chip

Hartzell, Christine (Student); Daniel Scheeres (Advisor); University of Colorado

A Computational Exploration of the Dynamics of Dust around Asteroids

Krawczynski, Michael (Student); Timothy Grove (Advisor); Massachusetts Institute of

Technology
Conditions of Early Solar System Volcanism

McDunn, Tamara (Student); Stephen Bougher (Advisor); University of Michigan

Structure and Dynamics of the 60-120 km Region on Mars.

Miller, Charles (Student); Nancy Chanover (Advisor); New Mexico State University
Nitrogen Frost - Microbar Atmosphere Interactions on Outer Solar System Bodies

Ong, Lissa (Student); H Melosh (Advisor); Arizona Board of Regents, University of

Arizona
Nonlinear Shock Wave Interactions: Implications for Impact Ejecta and Secondary
Crater Production Rates
Sanborn, Matthew (Student); Meenakshi (Mini) Wadhwa (Advisor); Arizona State
University
Petrogenesis and Chronology of the Angrites: Implications for Processes on the Angrite
Parent Body.

Sarid, Alyssa (Student); Michael Manga (Advisor); University of California, Berkeley

Tidally-driven Fractures on Europa

Schon, Samuel (Student); James Head (Advisor); Brown University

Linking Sedimentary Sequences and the Global Climate Record

Schwamb, Megan (Student); Michael Brown (Advisor); California Institute of

Technology
Sedna and the Early Solar System

Tran, Quyen (Student); Quyen Tran (Advisor); University of Houston

Evolution and Origin of the Ribosome

Astrophysics Research

Couch, Sean (Student); J. Craig Wheeler (Advisor); The University of Texas

Dynamics of Aspherical Core Collapse Supernovae

Farris, Brian (Student); Stuart Shapiro (Advisor); University of Illinois at Urbana

Champaign
Merging Black Hole Binaries in Gaseous Environments: Simulations in Radiative,
General-Relativistic Magnetohydrodynamics

Fortman, Sarah (Student); Frank De Lucia (Advisor); Ohio State University

Variable temperature, intensity calibrated, complete submillimeter spectra and analysis:
A New, Efficient Solution to the Astrophysical Confusion Limit

Goodhue, Abigail (Student); David Saltzberg (Advisor); University of California Los

Angeles
Searching for Ultra High-Energy Cosmic Neutrinos with the ANITA Long Duration
Balloon Experiment

Parker, Lucas (Student); Lyman Page (Advisor); Princeton University

A Prototype CMB Polarimeter for a Space Mission

Reines, Amy (Student); Kelsey Johnson (Advisor); University of Virginia

The Birth of Super Star Clusters

Trangsrud, Amy (Student); Andrew Lange (Advisor); California Institute of Technology

Probing Cosmic Reionization with the Spider Balloon-borne CMB Polarimeter
Zasowski, Gail (Student); Steven Majewski (Advisor); University of Virginia
Analysis of Dust and Stellar Structures in the Milky Way Disk with Spitzer and 2MASS