Biography:Kevin Hand

From HandWiki
Short description: Planetary scientist
Kevin Hand
KevinHandAtJPL.jpg
Kevin Hand
NationalityAmerican
Scientific career
Fields
ThesisOn the physics and chemistry of the ice shell and sub-surface ocean of Europa (2007)
Doctoral advisorChristopher Chyba

Kevin Hand is an astrobiologist and planetary scientist at JPL.[1][2] He is also the founder of Cosmos Education[1][2] and was its president until 2007.[3] He was working at NASA Ames when he was inspired to form Cosmos Education in 1999 after getting a grant from the Earth and Space Foundation to tour African schools to talk about how education relates to space research.[4][5]

Education and career

Hand studied psychology and physics as an undergraduate at Dartmouth.[6] He earned a master's degree at Stanford University in mechanical engineering while also working as a public policy research associate at Stanford's Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC).[6][7] He chose the question of whether Europa's putative ocean could harbor life as his Geological & Environmental Sciences PhD dissertation topic, under the direction of Christopher Chyba,[7] earning the doctorate in 2007.[6]

While a PhD student, he was chosen by James Cameron to take marine biology samples from hydrothermal vents in subsea expeditions to the mid-Atlantic ridge and East Pacific Rise.[7] He was a featured scientist in Cameron's 2005 IMAX documentary, Aliens of the Deep.[8]

At a 2014 NASA panel discussion, Hand predicted that extraterrestrial life would be found within 20 years.[9][10]

Hand published the book Alien Oceans in 2020.[11]

Selected publications

Bibliography

  • Alien Oceans (2020)

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 "Kevin Hand, Planetary Scientist and Astrobiologist". Emerging Explorers. National Geographic. 2011. http://www.nationalgeographic.com/field/explorers/kevin-hand/. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 Bowermaster, Jon (July 27, 2011). "The five explorers of the future". GADLING. AOL.com. http://www.gadling.com/2011/07/27/the-five-explorers-of-the-future/. 
  3. Ravneet Sehmi (27 August 2008). "Bringing Science Education Down to the Grass Roots". Nairobi Star; Star Life. http://cosmoseducation.org/kenya/CEK_StarArticle.pdf. 
  4. Charles Cockell; Don White; Douglas Messier; M. Dale Stokes (2002). "Fostering links between environmental and space exploration: the Earth and Space Foundation". Space Policy 18 (4): 301–306. doi:10.1016/s0265-9646(02)00043-7. Bibcode2002SpPol..18..301C. http://www.mpl.ucsd.edu/people/gdeane/outreach/pub.pdfs/earht_and_space.pdf. Retrieved 2011-08-11. 
  5. "Earth and Space Awards 1999". Earth and Space Foundation. 1999. http://www.earthandspace.org/1999.htm. 
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 "Kevin Hand". JPL Science: Planetary ICES: People. 
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Kevin Hand". Voices. 
  8. "Kevin Hand". SETI Institute Explorer. 2005. 
  9. connecticut.cbslocal.com/2014/07/15/nasa-humans-will-prove-we-are-not-alone-in-the-universe-within-20-years/
  10. Gates, Sara (2014-07-15). "We Are Not Alone in Universe, NASA Scientists Say". Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/15/we-are-not-alone-in-universe-nasa-habitable-planets_n_5588455.html. 
  11. McLemee, Scott (15 May 2020). "The Oceans of Outer Space". Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2020/05/15/review-kevin-peter-hand-alien-oceans-search-life-depths-space. 

External links