CLAS Researchers Named Scialog Fellows
Three faculty members join a high-impact research community to advance cutting-edge science
The Scialog fellowship is an esteemed group of early-career scholars and scientists dedicated to discussing and solving humanity’s greatest problems. This year, three CLAS faculty members have been inducted to help answer questions about the possibility of extraterrestrial life.
Jaehan Bae and Sarah Ballard, assistant professors of astronomy, and Amy Williams, an assistant professor of geology, have been selected to participate in the upcoming meeting of the Scialog fellowship, which will take place in Tucson, AZ, from March 16 to March 19.
The theme for this meeting will be “Signatures of Life in the Universe.” Fellows will pursue collaborative projects to better understand how life develops, how planets form, and whether life is possible elsewhere in the universe.
Bae’s work focuses on the physics of planet formation, emphasizing computer simulations of developing planets in other solar systems. At the conference, he plans to collaborate with experts on the chemistry of planet formation, hoping that a combination of physics and chemistry expertise will allow for a greater understanding of planet development.
“Understanding planet formation in detail is important by itself, but it will be crucial to better understand how life has emerged on earth and how life might form elsewhere in the universe,” Bae explained.
While Williams shares Bae’s goal to facilitate a better understanding of life in the universe, she is more focused on finding evidence of life on other planets rather than the planets themselves. She has worked closely with NASA on several Mars-related projects, including the Curiosity and the Perseverance Rovers. Williams hopes that her experience with Mars soil samples will help find evidence of life on Mars, and in turn, evidence for life beyond Earth.
“If we were to suspect we had discovered evidence for life on Mars, that extraordinary claim would require extraordinary evidence, to paraphrase Carl Sagan! I hope my work will help us collect that extraordinary evidence,” Williams said.
While individuals may apply for the Scialog fellowship, Bae and Williams were nominated. Williams was nominated by Dr. Jeff Marlow from Boston University, but Bae was nominated anonymously.
“I didn’t apply for it, so I must have been nominated by someone,” Bae said. “I have no idea who, though, and I’d like to know the answer!”
Learn more about the Scialog initiative here.
