Tanya Harrison

Fellow | Outer Space Institute

Vancouver, BC, CANADA

Professional Martian who has worked on rocks and robots on the Red Planet.

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Biography

“Professional Martian” Dr. Tanya Harrison has worked as a scientist and mission operations specialist on multiple NASA missions to Mars, including the Opportunity, Curiosity, and Perseverance rovers, and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Bridging the worlds of Mars and Earth, as well as academia and industry, she has worked as the Director of Science for Impact at Planet Labs and the Director of Research for Arizona State University’s NewSpace Initiative. She is currently a Fellow of the University of British Columbia’s Outer Space Institute and the Aurelia Institute.

As a highly respected expert in the field, Tanya has made numerous TV appearances, including on National Geographic and The Weather Channel, and has written on space-related topics for outlets including Slate, Canada’s The Globe and Mail, the Houston Chronicle, and Astronomy magazine. Her first non-academic book, For All Humankind (2019, Mango Publishing) highlights international memories of the day of the Apollo 11 Moon landing and made the #1 release on Amazon’s Aeronautics and Astronautics book list.

Committed to fostering the next generation of space professionals, Tanya is active in mentorship, education, and outreach initiatives. She serves on the Board of Advisors for Explore Mars and Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS), and the Board of Directors for the American Geophysical Union. She is also a co-founder of the Zed Factor Fellowship, an initiative to increase diversity, inclusion, and accessibility in the aerospace sector through paid internship opportunities, mentorship, and community engagement for those from historically excluded backgrounds in STEM.

Tanya holds a Ph.D. in Geology with a Specialization in Planetary Science and Exploration from the University of Western Ontario, a Masters in Earth and Environmental Sciences from Wesleyan University, and a B.Sc. in Astronomy and Physics from the University of Washington. Her honours include two NASA Group Achievement Awards, the Amelia Earhart Fellowship for women in aerospace and the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship, Canada’s most prestigious doctoral award. She was also named one of Via Satellite’s Young People to Watch of 2018, and a Future Space Leader in 2019.

You can find her prolifically tweeting about all things Mars, space, and Canada on Twitter as @tanyaofmars.

Industry Expertise (4)

Research

Aerospace

Education/Learning

Women

Areas of Expertise (19)

Space and Astrophysics

Climate Change

Satellite Based Remote Sensing of the Earth/atmosphere System

Earth Science

Women in STEM Careers

Women in STEM

Women in Science and Engineering

Women in Science

Astronomy

Landslides

Glaciology

Remote Sensing

Geology

Mission Operations

Space Exploration

Mars

Earth Sciences

Satellite Design

Space

Accomplishments (14)

Via Satellite's Young People to Watch List (professional)

2018-12-11

http://interactive.satellitetoday.com/via-satellites-2018-young-people-to-watch-list/

Geological Society of America Paul Pellas-Ryder Award (professional)

2016-04-25

Award given for the best student paper in planetary science published in 2015

Amelia Earhart Fellowship (professional)

2014 and 2015; Ph.D. fellowship for women in aerospace fields (2-time awardee)

Geological Society of America On to the Future Award (professional)

2014

University of Western Ontario Research Western Award (professional)

2014

Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship (professional)

2014; Canada's most prestigious doctoral scholarship

NASA Group Achievement Award (professional)

2013; Presented to the Mars Science Laboratory Mast Camera, Mars Hand Lens Imager, and Mars Descent Imager instruments team

Lunar and Planetary Institute Career Development Award (professional)

2013

NSERC CREATE Technologies and Techniques for Space Exploration Ph.D. Fellowship (professional)

2012

NSERC CREATE Canadian Astrobiology Training Program Ph.D. Fellowship (professional)

2012

University of Western Ontario Graduate Research Scholarship (professional)

2012–2014

NASA Group Achievement Award (professional)

2011; Presented to the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Context Camera and Mars Color Imager science team

NASA Connecticut Space Grant Scholar (professional)

2008

Washington Promise Scholar (professional)

2003

Education (3)

University of Western Ontario: Ph.D., Geology (specialization in Planetary Science and Exploration) 2016

Wesleyan University: Master of Arts, Earth and Environmental Sciences 2008

University of Washington: Bachelor of Science, Astronomy and Physics (Dual Major) 2006

Affiliations (5)

Owner, Professional Martian LLC
Board of Advisors, Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS)
Board of Advisors, Explore Mars
Partner, NASA Harvest
Board of Directors, American Geophysical Union

Links (5)

Languages (2)

English
French

Media Appearances (20)

Extraterrestrial Remote Sensing

Geospatial Frontier online

2020-05-31

Dr. Tanya Harrison gives us a look at extraterrestrial remote sensing with w focus of studying Mars and how that compares with looking at Earth from Space. Check out her Amazing presentation!

Tanya of Mars

Project Geospatial online

2020-05-25

In this episode, we have the honor of interviewing Dr. Tanya Harrison, aka Tanya of Mars. Tanya is a planetary scientist and she gives us great insight into several interesting topics.

Tanya Harrison

The Blunt Report online

2020-05-14

Tanya Harrison is a Former Mission Operator with the Mars Rovers and a Planetary Scientist Focusing on Martian Geomorphology and both Martian and Terrestrial Imaging. http://tanyaofmars.com/

Tanya Harrison on Space Exploration 50 Years After Apollo

Future Fossils online

2020-02-03

This week’s guest is Tanya Harrison, a Mars geologist, author, and infectious banner-waving space enthusiast. We talk about For All Humankind, her new book with Danny Bednar on the legacy of the Apollo missions, as both a planetwide accomplishment and also a high bar against which we have since not seemed to measure up.

Mars: One Day on the Red Planet

National Geographic tv

2020-01-05

An epic journey around Mars revealing a planet you've never seen before.

Secrets of the Solar System: Mars

CuriosityStream online

2019-12-01

The dramatic, moving and powerful story of humanity’s conquest of Mars, told by the people who risked entire careers to explore the red planet. Did we find evidence for life back in the ’70s? Some believe we did.

For All Humankind

Friday Night Book Club online

2019-12-01

Tanya and Danny stop by to talk about their new book: For All Humankind: The Untold Stories of How the Moon Landing Inspired the World. Dr. Tanya Harrison calls herself a “professional martian.” She has spent over a decade working as a scientist and in mission operations on multiple NASA Mars missions, including the Curiosity and Opportunity rovers. Dr. Danny Bednar is a geographer of space, with an interest in how satellites are helping in the fight against climate change. Their book looks at the impact of the moon landing on people across the globe. They also talk about the ongoing impact and what might be next for humans in space. It is really fascinating stuff.Buy the book: For All Humankind

New ASU Exhibit Explores What It Would Be Like To Live On Mars

KJZZ radio

2019-12-03

The sci-fi genre is full of tales of humans exploring Mars, often to learn something that could change the scope of the universe or, at the least, colonize it for Earth. But there are many real scientists today working on ways to get us to Mars and prepare us for living on the extraterrestrial world once we get there. A project at ASU — the Mars Exploration Mobile Unit — aims to create an exhibit that will get the public as close as possible to what it would be like to live and work on Mars. To do this, the project brought together a variety of disciplines.

Dr. Tanya Harrison

Mission Even Podcast online

2019-11-20

Dr. Tanya Harrison is a manager of science programs at Planet. Her undergraduate degree is in Astronomy; her Masters and Ph.D. are in Geology with a specialty in Mars. She's an Earth and Martian photographer, a Trekkie, and the youngest member of the National Space Society's Board of Government. She makes space swag, works with 150 satellites "that are adorable", is an advocate for science communications, the disabled, and an all-around awesome role model for women who want to trail-blaze the industry.

Stories From a Mars Rover Specialist

TMRO online

2019-03-11

This week Dr Tanya Harrison joins us to talk about the science of Mars and her experiences working on various Mars missions such as Opportunity, Curiosity, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and the upcoming Mars 2020 rover.

FLying Around Mars Imaging aNd Geography Observatory

Off-Nominal Podcast online

2018-10-04

Tanya Harrison joins Jake and Anthony to discuss the James Webb Space Telescope delays, planetary missions and their ability to stay under budget and on time, and the benefits and drawbacks of decadal surveys.

We Need Space: Federal Partnerships In Space Exploration

Federal News Network online

2018-07-20

Tune in to the July 20th FedTalk to hear about the changing face of federal space exploration and research, including the increased reliance on public/private partnerships with academia and private organizations such as Boeing and SpaceX. Joining host Ben Carnes will be Dr. Tanya Harrison, Director of Research at Arizona State University’s Space Technology and Science Initiative, and lead of the “Five Senses of Space” project; Peter McGrath, Director of Global Sales and Marketing for Boeing Space Exploration; and Mat Kaplan of The Planetary Society. The show airs live on Friday, July 20, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. ET on Federal News Radio 1500, but you can stream online anytime via the Federal News Radio player. FEDtalk is a live radio talk show produced by Shaw Bransford & Roth P.C., a federal employment law firm. Bringing you the insider’s perspective from leaders in the federal community since 1993. FEDtalk is sponsored by Long Term Care Partners who administers the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) sponsored Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP). Start planning for the future. Take the next step and visit LTCFEDS.com today.

Mars Researcher Takes A Journey To The Red Planet — Through Her Family Tree

KJZZ radio

2018-06-25

“I’d always been interested in space. I grew up watching a lot of Star Trek with my parents. But in 1997 when the Mars Pathfinder mission landed, NASA released a little animation of photos of the Sojourner rover driving off the lander onto the surface of Mars,” Harrison recalled. “And I remember seeing that and thinking, we’re driving a robot on another planet tens of millions of miles away. And my brain just couldn’t comprehend how awesome that was. And so that kind of shifted my focus from just kind of general space to — I really want to work on Mars.” So she did. Not literally, but as close as anyone can get right now. Every image she sees from the rover unravels another little mystery about the red planet. Then last year, her mom made a discovery. “So my mother is really into genealogy,” Harrison said. “And she told me at one point recently that she had come across my great great uncle, whose name is Ira Sweet Bunker. And she found out from his obituary, of all things, that he had written a story called: ‘A Thousand Years Hence; Or, Startling Events In The Year 3000.’” Subtitle: “A Trip To Mars, Incidents By The Way.” Turns out, an interest in Mars runs in the family. But this story was published in 1903, and had since been lost. It didn’t seem to be anywhere online, except for references to it.

WX Geeks: Weather on Mars

The Weather Channel tv

2017-03-05

We had to explore Martian weather on The Weather Channel’s Weather Geeks. We like to take the weather that we all love and examine it from the angles you might not otherwise get. Sunday’s show brings Dr. Tanya Harrison to the show. She knows Mars, trust me. And she is one of the best space and astronomy follows on social media.

Children of This Universe

Western Worlds (University of Western Ontario) radio

2017-02-21

Co-host Alyssa Gilbert talks to Tanya Harrison of Western University. Join co-hosts Raymond Francis, Alyssa Gilbert, Zhengyi Hu and Parshati Patel in the round table discussion after the interview.

Gullies on Mars

WeMartians online

2016-07-01

Increasingly, Mars is appearing to us as a living, breathing world with dynamic features. One such feature that has captivated planetary scientists around the world is the occurrence of Martian Gullies, channels carved into the surface as if by water, in a world where flowing water is not exactly common. We talk with Tanya Harrison, a planetary scientist and geologist from the University of Western Ontario. She tells us all about gullies on Mars, how they might be formed, and what scientists are doing about it to learn more in the search for life on Mars.

Can We Really Colonize Mars?

Techdirt online

2015-12-13

Elon Musk got plenty of attention recently for announcing his plans to colonize Mars. But that's not exactly a new idea—so we wondered if it was really a different, exciting and realistic plan, or just a reiteration of the standard far-flung dream. To answer that question, we brought in three experts: Amy Shira Teitel (a space and flight historian and creator of YouTube's Vintage Space videos), JPL's Fred Calef (a Mars geologist and "keeper of the maps" for Mars rovers), and the New Space Initiative's Tanya Harrison (who worked on Curiosity and several other Mars missions). The result was a fascinating discussion about Mars and whether or not we're actually headed there any time soon.

Students controlling practice space mission

106.9 The X online

2015-11-30

A group of students from across the country ran a Mars rover simulation mission at Western University. Made up of 35 students, ranging from undergraduates to Post Doctoral Fellows contributed to the analogue mission.

Western University preps for Mars

CHCH News tv

2015-11-17

Next month NASA will start taking applications for astronauts looking to be the first to set foot on the planet Mars. Meanwhile, a joint program between the Canadian space agency and Western University has made London Ontario ‘Mission Control’ for a simulated mission to the red planet.

Live Interview about Mars

AM650 CKOM radio

2015-09-28

Not available online

Event Appearances (36)

What Does 'New Space' Really Mean? - Panelist

Via Satellite's ON ORBIT Podcast LIVE Washington DC, USA

2020-03-11

AI & Robotics for In-Orbit Satellite Servicing - Moderator

Satellite 2020 Washington DC, USA

2020-03-09

What's Up on Mars? - Invited Talk

NASA Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Titusville, FL, USA

2019-12-29

More Than Martians

Ignite@AGU San Francisco, CA, USA

2019-12-11

Finding Your (Non-Linear) Career Path - OPENING KEYNOTE

SpaceVision 2019 Phoenix, AZ, USA

2019-11-07

Science Applications of Planet Data - Invited Talk

NASA Goddard Engineering Colloquium Greenbelt, MD, USA

2019-09-09

What's Up on Mars? - Invited Talk

Phoenix Public Library Phoenix, AZ, USA

2019-08-01

Roving Robots on the Red Planet - Invited Talk

Amazon re:MARS Las Vegas, NV, USA

2019-06-05

Mars Exploration - Panelist

VivaTech 2019 Paris, France

2019-05-17

Emigration of Life from Earth - Panelist

Breakthrough Discuss Berkeley, CA, USA

2019-04-12

Cloudy With a Chance of Dust Storms - Invited Talk

Rose City Astronomers Portland, OR, USA

2019-02-28

Effective Science Communication Strategies in the Digital World - KEYNOTE

University of Toronto Scarborough Graduate Career Day Toronto, Ontario, Canada

2019-01-17

Surviving Mars - Panelist

PAX West Seattle, WA

2018-09-01

What's Up on Mars? - Invited Talk

Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Chapter Meeting Toronto, Ontario, Canada

2018-07-28

Cloudy With a Chance of Dust Storms - Invited Talk

Ontario Science Centre Toronto, Ontario, Canada

2018-07-27

The Current State of Water on Mars - KEYNOTE

Royal Astronomical Society of Canada General Assembly Calgary, AB, Canada

2018-06-28

Photographing the Galaxy and Citizen Science

TEDxASU Tempe, AZ, USA

2018-03-31

More Than Martians - Invited Talk

SGx Washington DC, USA

2018-03-12

The Emerging Role of Commercial Spaceflight in Earth Remote Sensing Science

Canadian SmallSat Summit Toronto, Ontario, Canada

2018-02-14

Cloudy With a Chance of Dust Storms - KEYNOTE

Steamboat Weather Summit Steamboat Springs, CO

2018-01-25

The Past and Present of Water on Mars - Invited Talk

Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Chapter Meeting Toronto, Ontario, Canada

2017-11-24

Mars Missions Roundup - Invited Talk

Idaho Star Party Mountain Home, ID, USA

2017-09-16

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and the Curiosity Rover: Perspectives on Whether Mars is Habitable - KEYNOTE

Nuclear and Space Radiation Effects Conference New Orleans, LA, USA

2017-07-20

The Importance of Science Outreach - Invited Talk

March for Science Toronto, Ontario, Canada

2017-04-22

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Mission Operations - Invited Talk

Planet San Francisco, CA

2017-02-17

Gullies on Mars - Invited Talk

University of Texas at El Paso Departmental Colloquium Presentation El Paso, TX

2016-10-03

Cloudy With a Chance of Dust Storms - Invited Talk

Lucasfilm San Francisco, CA

2016-04-18

Finding Your Career Path - KEYNOTE

Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS) Canada Ascension London, ON, Canada

2016-03-05

Gullies on Mars - Invited Talk

Zonta International Meeting Stratford, ON, Canada

2015-09-03

Invited Speaker

University of Western Ontario Staff and Leaders Conference London, ON, Canada

2013-02-18

Invited Speaker

Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) Meeting London, ON, Canada

2013-01-18

Invited Speaker

University of Western Ontario Curiosity Rover Landing Event London, ON, Canada

2012-08-06

Invited Speaker

San Diego Astronomy Association Meeting San Diego, CA

2010-10-03

Invited Speaker

CascadiaCon Seattle, WA

2005-09-03

Invited Speaker

VikingCon Bellingham, WA

2000-08-19

Invited Panelist

Norwescon 22 Seattle, WA

1999-04-03

Sample Talks (1)

Cloudy With a Chance of Dust Storms

Mars is far from a dead planet! It has quite active weather, including massive dust storms, wispy water ice clouds, and changes throughout the seasons. This talk covers the weird and wonderful weather of the Red Planet.

Style

Educational

Entertaining

Strategic

Tactical

Lecture Style

Interactive

Formal

Relaxed

Availability

Keynote
Moderator
Panelist
Workshop Leader
Host/MC
Author Appearance

Fees

0 to 5000 ^*Will consider certain engagements for no fee

Partnerships (1)

Proud Space Nerds

#girlswithtoys: women remind Twitter they are scientists too

Wired

Katie Collins

2015-05-18

Female scientists from all over the world have taken to Twitter to post pictures of themselves with tools and equipment from their workplaces alongside the hashtag #girlswithtoys. The pictures are being posted in response to an unfortunate, off-the-cuff comment made by CalTech professor Shrinivas Kulkarni during an NPR interview. "Many scientists, I think, secretly are what I call 'boys with toys'," said Kulkarni, a professor of astronomy and planetary science. While the comment was a blunder by Kulkarni rather than a targeted attack, for many it also exposes the ingrained sexism that goes unacknowledged in the science and technology industries. If nothing else it perpetuated the myth that science and tech are men's pursuits. To remind Kulkarni and the rest of the world that scientists are not just "boys with toys", however, the female scientists of Twitter struck back using the #girlswithtoys hashtag as their calling card. The resulting slew of pictures serves as a reminder of the role women are playing in science and technology, but also provides an insight into some of the awesome toys they do get to play with.

Powerful #GirlsWithToys Campaign Proves Once And For All That Women Have A Place In STEM

The Huffington Post

Kimberly Yam

2015-05-18

Here’s yet another reminder that women totally kick ass in any field they want. Shrinivas Kulkarni, astronomy and planetary science professor at the California Institute of Technology, was featured in an interview with NPR on Saturday. While speaking on astronomers, the professor said, “many scientists ... are what I call ‘boys with toys.’ I really like playing around with telescopes. It’s just not fashionable to admit it.” The comment, which failed to acknowledge his female counterparts in the field, didn’t go unnoticed. Women took to the Internet to remind Kulkarni that “boys” aren’t the only ones in STEM. Using the #girlswithtoys hashtag, female scientists and engineers shared pictures of themselves or others with tools and equipment. Some posed next to rovers, while others took selfies with their lab equipment. A few were pictured next to some “toys” that were a little beyond our understanding. The #girlswithtoys campaign is stunning, powerful and will make you want to bust out the Bunsen burner.

Women around the world prove science isn't just for 'boys with toys’

Mashable

Seth Fiegerman

2015-05-17

Female scientists have joined together to disprove one astronomer's thesis: science is just "boys with toys." Shrinivas Kulkarni, an astronomer who teaches astrophysics at the California Institute of Technology, made waves this weekend after he was quoted by NPR as saying, "Many scientists, I think, secretly are what I call 'boys with toys.'" That casual remark, included in an otherwise unremarkable interview, quickly set off a powerful reaction from women (and men) in the science community who took to Twitter to highlight how tone deaf it is to continue talking as though women have no role in the field. Using the hashtag #girlswithtoys, scientists from around the world shared dozens of images of women "playing" with microscopes, telescopes, Mars rovers, water pumps and more.

Women in Planetary Science

Susan Neibur

2010-10-07

Tanya Harrison discusses her career path in planetary science.

CTX and MARCI—The OTHER Cameras on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

The Planetary Society

Tanya Harrison

2010-01-25

"What?" you might say, "There are cameras other than HiRISE?" Yes indeed, there are. There are two other cameras aboard MRO: the Context Camera (CTX) and Mars Color Imager (MARCI).