Westwood Lecture Series: Michelle Thompson

Michelle Thompson, associate professor of earth, atmospheric, and planetary sciences in the College of Science, will present findings from the analysis of asteroid Bennu samples returned by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission.

Thompson’s research focuses on the alteration of airless planetary surfaces caused by exposure to the space environment, a process known as space weathering. She served as a science team member of JAXA’s Hayabusa2 mission, is deputy lead of the Contact Pad Working Group on NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission and is the principal investigator of the PRECISE NASA Planetary Science Enabling Facility. In this lecture, Thompson will highlight her team’s analysis of asteroid Bennu samples to better understand the evolution of airless planetary bodies in our solar system.

The Westwood Lecture Series is a program aimed at enhancing the intellectual vibrancy of the West Lafayette campus.

Each lecture will take place from 4:30-5:30 p.m. at Westwood, the Purdue president’s residence.

Space is limited to the first 50 faculty who register online.