This month, Dr. Bethany Ehlmann began her tenure as director of the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder), ushering in a new era for the lab. Founded as the Upper Air Laboratory in 1948, LASP’s mission is to advance scientific discovery and inspire the next generation through forefront research, innovation, and education in space sciences.
Ehlmann will be only the third director of LASP since the institute took its current name in the mid-1960s. Additionally, she will hold roles at CU Boulder, including Provost’s Chair in the Research and Innovation Office, Professor of Geological Sciences, and affiliate Professor of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences.
“We are honored to welcome Dr. Ehlmann to the University of Colorado Boulder,” said Senior Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation and Dean of the Institutes Massimo Ruzzene. “Dr. Ehlmann’s expertise and vision will carry forward LASP and CU Boulder’s legacy as a leading space science institution into the future, while also benefitting our broader research and innovation enterprise.”
Ehlmann is a planetary scientist whose research focuses on water in the solar system, the evolution of habitable worlds, and remote sensing techniques and instruments for planetary missions.
“It’s an honor to be appointed to lead LASP, with its long history of innovation and respected reputation in the space sciences,” said Ehlmann. “In-space activity is growing worldwide, and I am focused on supporting and creating new opportunities to drive the next science and technology frontiers while training our future space workforce.”
Ehlmann is a science team member of multiple missions, including the Earth-orbiting EMIT imaging spectrometer; the Jupiter-bound Europa Clipper, which carries the LASP-built Europa Surface Dust Analyzer (SUDA) instrument; the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover; the Mars2020 Perseverance rover; and the upcoming ExoMars rover. Previously, she was principal investigator for Lunar Trailblazer and a science team member for the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter CRISM instrument, the Dawn mission during its exploration of the asteroid Ceres, and the Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity. Bethany came to CU Boulder from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), where she served as a Professor of Planetary Science and Director of Caltech’s Keck Institute for Space Studies.
Active in science policy and outreach, Ehlmann is President of the board of directors of The Planetary Society. She previously served as a member of the National Academies Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey and the National Academies Committee on Astrobiology and Planetary Science.
Ehlmann is also focused on strengthening the role LASP plays in inspiring and educating students at the university—helping to train the next generation of space science innovators and researchers.
“LASP has been a significant part of CU Boulder’s nearly 150-year history and a key reason we are the top public university recipient of NASA research awards,” said CU Boulder’s Chancellor Justin Schwartz. “LASP and CU Boulder have tremendous impact on space science research as well as the economy of Colorado.”
By Willow Reed, Sr. Communications Specialist
Founded a decade before NASA, the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado Boulder is revolutionizing human understanding of the cosmos. LASP is deeply committed to inspiring and educating the next generation of space explorers. From the first exploratory rocket measurements of Earth’s upper atmosphere to trailblazing observations of every planet in the solar system, LASP continues to build on its remarkable history with a nearly $1 billion portfolio of new research and engineering programs.
