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Bruce J. Douglas and Lisa M. Pratt Field Experiences Fund

Bruce J. Douglas and Lisa M. Pratt Field Experiences Fund

Income from this gift is used to support field experiences for students. Expenditures may include, but shall not be limited to, scholarships for students who have been accepted and enrolled in summer field courses offered at the IU Judson Mead Geologic Field Station, field trips for classes or other cohorts of IU students, and field research funding for undergraduate or graduate IU students. Recipients of scholarships for attendance at the IU Judson Mead Geologic Field Station are not required to be full-time IU students so long as they meet the enrollment goals and admission standards for the field station.

Preference for scholarships will be given to students who best exhibit the potential to perform exceptionally well in a rigorous field geology course as determined by the field station leadership. The number, amount(s), and recipient(s) of the scholarships are determined by the Scholarship Committee of the IUGFS in accordance with guidelines and procedures established by the College, Indiana University, and the Foundation.

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Biography: Bruce Douglas

Bruce received his A.B in 1977 from Colgate University, his M.A. in 1979 and his Ph.D. in 1983 from Princeton University. His research interests include the rheological properties of geological materials; stress and strain analysis; fault - fold interactions in field and analog settings; displacement transfer in fault zones; geologic field mapping; laboratory experimentation and measurement of rock fracture strength and time to failure; application of exploration geophysical methods to environmental problems.

He writes, “At the present time my research is focused on developing an understanding of various deformation mechanisms that are active in the brittle and ductile portions of the lithosphere. Projects involve both laboratory and field based investigations; all projects typically combine either experimental or theoretical modeling with field or natural samples and site-specific data sets.”

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Bruce Douglas, Senior Lecturer and Academic Director of the IU Geologic Field Station

Biography: Lisa M. Pratt

Research Interests: Geomicrobiology of sulfate-reducing microorganisms; Biotic and abiotic fractionation of sulfur isotopes in modern and ancient oceans and lakes; Influence of wildfire on carbon isotopic excursions during the Cretaceous; Fate of complex organic molecules on the surface of Mars

Lisa Pratt, Provost Professor in the IU Bloomington College of Arts and Sciences' Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, is now the planetary protection officer at NASA. The position is responsible for the protection of Earth from potential contamination by extraterrestrial life forms, including potential microorganisms that could live in the ice or groundwater of Mars, as well as preventing accidental transportation of Earth's microbes to other planets through exploratory probes -- or the boots of astronauts.

"I am excited about the opportunity to contribute to the mission of planetary protection at a defining moment in human evolution and the advancement of science," said Pratt, who also serves as associate executive dean in the IU Bloomington College of Arts and Sciences. "We are on the verge of becoming a spacefaring species, and I feel privileged to be invited into an extraordinary conversation, pushing the frontiers of science, exploration and discovery at NASA. This position plays a direct role in seeking evidence to address a profound question: Are we alone?"

The position of planetary protection officer, within NASA's Safety and Mission Assurance Technical Authority, serves as a contact point between NASA and international groups such as the Committee on Space Research on issues related to planetary protection, as well as the development and implementation of planetary protection policies within the agency.

"NASA, along with the National Science Foundation, has supported Lisa's work on biogeochemical research on microbial transformation of simple inorganic molecules for the past two decades," said Frank Groen, director of the safety assurance requirements division of NASA's Office of Safety and Mission Assurance. "As NASA's planetary protection officer, she will be responsible for the leadership of NASA's planetary protection capability, maintenance of planetary protection policies and oversight of their implementation by NASA's space flight missions."

Pratt has been a member of the IU faculty since 1987, where her research focuses on understanding how microorganisms adapt to extreme environments. This requires the in-person collection of pristine samples from poisonous-gas-filled waters in extremely hot and cold environments.

Bruce J. Douglas and Lisa M. Pratt Field Experiences Fund