Carleton’s Regional Carls Program

Los Angeles Carleton Club

              invites you to

          JPL DAY WITH ALUMNI SCIENTISTS

Saturday, May 8, 2010, 2 to 5 p.m.

Three distinguished Carleton alums work at JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) (directions below): Dr. Joy Crisp '79, Dr. Dayton Jones '74, and Dr.  Larry Sparks '74.  Dayton is a radio astronomer, Joy is a geologist who has worked on the Mars rover, and Larry is a plasma physicist.  They will talk about their work and Joy will show us some Mars rover hardware.  This will be followed by light refreshments, a walking tour of the campus, and a chance to talk.

Dr. Joy Crisp grew up in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  She received a BA in Geology from Carleton College, and a PhD in Geology from Princeton University.  Her scientific expertise is in the mineralogy and formation of volcanic rocks on Earth and Mars.  She has been a scientist at JPL since 1987.  For Mars Pathfinder, she was the Assistant Rover Scientist and Alpha Proton X-ray Spectrometer Investigation Scientist.  She was the Project Scientist for the Spirit and Opportunity rovers for six years, and is now the Deputy Project scientist for the next big rover going to Mars, named Curiosity.  She will talk about the scientific results from Spirit and Opportunity, and the plans for the Curiosity rover, which will land on Mars in 2012.

Dr. Dayton Jones grew up in Philadelphia.  He received a BA in Physics from Carleton, an MS in Scientific Instrumentation from the University of California at Santa Barbara, and a PhD in Astronomy from Cornell University.  After postdoctoral research positions at Caltech and JPL, he joined the JPL staff in 1986 and is currently a Principal Scientist.  His research expertise is in radio astronomy, and he is involved in planning and designing the Square Kilometer Array, the international next-generation facility for radio astronomy.  He will present a short summary of current and future JPL/NASA astronomy missions.

Dr. Lawrence Sparks is a member of the Ionospheric and Atmospheric Remote Sensing Group (IARS) in the Tracking Systems and Applications Section at JPL. He received his BA from Carleton with a double major in Physics and English and his PhD in Applied Physics from Cornell University. His published research has spanned fields including fusion plasma physics, solar magnetohydrodynamics, atmospheric radiative transfer, and ionospheric modeling.  He is currently working on applications of the Global Positioning System (GPS) to ionospheric science. As a member of the WAAS Integrity and Performance Panel (WIPP), he advises the Federal Aviation Administration regarding questions concerning the effects of the ionosphere on the safety of the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), the FAA's airline navigation system based on GPS.

We are limited to 30 people, so alumni or parents may bring one spouse or guest.  All sign-ups must be received by February 24.  Note that the JPL campus is very hilly.  There is an up-hill walk from the visitor center to the building where we will meet.  The tour will involve many stairs and about 1 mile of walking.  Be sure to wear good walking shoes.

This event is restricted to U.S. Citizens and Green Card holders over 18 years of age.  We must submit the names of attendees to JPL Security two months in advance.  No names may be added, so please be sure to identify each person who will attend.  If we have more than 30 sign up, we will have a waiting list and will submit the names on the waiting list as well.  You will be asked for a photo ID (Driver's License or Passport).  Resident aliens are required to have their Resident Alien Card (green card) or proof of residency in their passport.

The cost for the tour is $10 per person which will cover refreshments and Alumni Club expenses.  JPL, Joy, Larry, and Dayton are donating their time.  If you are not accepted for the tour, your check will be returned.  If you find that you cannot attend after signing up, please let Margie know ASAP.  Your deposit will be returned and your slot will be given to someone on the waiting list. 

For instructions on how to make your reservation, or if you have questions, contact Margie Templeton '63 by February 24.  The day of the event, Margie can be reached by cell phone.