Christina Richey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Christina Rae Richey
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| Born | |
| Alma mater | Wheeling Jesuit University The University of Alabama at Birmingham |
| Known for | anti-harassment efforts |
| Awards | 2014 NASA Headquarters Special Service Award, 2015 WJU James O'Brien Award from Wheeling Jesuit University, 2015 Harold Masursky Award from the Division for Planetary Sciences, 2016 UAB Trailblazing Alumni Award |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Planetary Science and Astrophysics |
| Institutions | Goddard Space Flight Center NASA Headquarters |
| Doctoral advisor | Perry A. Gerakines |
Christina "Chrissy" Richey is an American planetary scientist and astrophysicist. She studies planets, moons, and stars. She works at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California.
At JPL, Chrissy Richey is a project staff scientist for the Europa Clipper mission. She also works as a research technologist. Before joining JPL, she worked at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. There, she helped manage programs for NASA's Planetary Science Division. She also worked on the OSIRIS-REx mission.
Chrissy Richey is well-known for her work against harassment in science. She teaches people about its harmful effects. She was the chair of the American Astronomical Society's Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy. She also co-chaired a group for the Division for Planetary Sciences. She actively writes for the Women in Astronomy blog.
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Chrissy Richey's Early Life and Education
Chrissy Richey earned her first degree in physics in 2004. She studied at Wheeling Jesuit University. Later, she got her master's degree in 2007. She then completed her PhD in physics in 2011. Both advanced degrees were from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
For her PhD, she studied icy moons in our solar system. She also researched the space between stars. After her PhD, she became a NASA postdoctoral fellow. She worked at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. There, she studied tiny dust particles. This helped scientists understand how early star systems formed.
Her Career and Research at NASA
Chrissy Richey now works at JPL. She is a project staff scientist for the Europa Clipper Mission. This exciting NASA mission will explore Jupiter's moon, Europa. Scientists want to find out if Europa's icy ocean could have conditions for life.
She also worked as a deputy science advisor for NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD). In this role, she shared information about research awards. She helped scientists communicate with NASA. She was also a deputy program scientist for the OSIRIS-REx Mission.
The OSIRIS-REx mission launched in 2016. Its goal was to visit an asteroid called Bennu. It collected a sample from Bennu and brought it back to Earth. This mission helps scientists learn how planets formed. It also helps us understand how life began. The mission also teaches us more about asteroids that could hit Earth.
Promoting a Better Workplace
Besides her research, Chrissy Richey works to make science more welcoming. She often speaks at conferences. She talks about how to stop harassment in science. She teaches her colleagues about its negative effects. She explains that women in vulnerable positions often face more harassment. This includes women of color and young women.
From 2015 to 2017, she led the American Astronomical Society's Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy. She also co-chaired the Division for Planetary Sciences' Subcommittee on Professional Climate and Culture.
Awards and Honors
- 2014: Received an honor award from NASA Headquarters.
- 2015: Given the WJU James O'Brien Award from Wheeling Jesuit University.
- 2015: Named an Alumni Scholar in Residence by Wheeling Jesuit University.
- 2015: Awarded the Harold Masursky Award. This was for her great service to planetary science.
- 2016: Received the Trailblazing Alumni Award. This was from The University of Alabama at Birmingham.
- 2020: Chosen as a Legacy Fellow of the American Astronomical Society.
