Sam is a Professor of Chemistry at Tufts University, an Affiliate Scientist at the NASA-Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and a Visiting Professor in the Department of Earth Sciences at Imperial College London. He received his B.S./M.S. from Cal State-San Diego in 1978 and a Ph.D/D.Sc. from Université de Genève in 1985. After post-doc fellowships at SUNY-Buffalo and Harvard University, he joined the faculty at Tufts in 1988. His research interests are in planetary science and astrobiology using the techniques of modern analytical chemistry, with a focus on the search for biomarkers for life on Mars and Enceladus.

He has co/authored over 115 top-tier publications and received over 35 grants from NASA, NSF, and EPA. Among other honors, he received the ACS-Kavli Award for Innovations in Chemistry; he is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science; Geological Society; Royal Society of Chemistry; and has received several NASA awards.

Neveda is a Visiting Scholar in the Department of Chemistry at Tufts University. She received her B.S. in Biomedical Science from Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), M.S. in Medical and Molecular Microbiology from the University of Manchester (UK), and her Ph.D. in Microbial Pathogenicity from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (UK). After a teaching position at Endicott College (2016-18), she joined the Chemistry Department as a post-doctoral scholar (2018-23) and is currently a Visiting Scholar.

Her research interests are in understanding how bacteria can survive in extreme environments such those found on Mars and the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn (Europa and Enceladus), and what that would mean in the search for extraterrestrial life.

Bernadette is a Massachusetts native who has lived in the Berkshires for the last 8 years. Her research focuses on investigating the fragmentation effects of UV radiation and oxychlorine intermediates on tryptophan under standard Mars conditions using GC-MS analysis. She is also developing ion selective electrodes using novel ionophores for detecting important life-essential compounds on ocean worlds, such as Enceladus!

Bernadette spends most of her free time reading and hanging out with her cat, The Meow, however in the warmer parts of the year you can find her gardening. She enjoys solving 3D hand puzzles, particularly metal, and her favorite food is pizza without cheese. Bernadette is passionate in her distaste for Bradford Pear trees and microfiber cloths.

Megan hails from Winfield, Missouri. Her area of research involves design and development of Mars simulation chambers, as well as examining fragmentation patterns of biomarkers under martian conditions. Her next project will focus on studying the production and permeation of organic-destroying chlorine dioxide gas in martian regolith.

Megan spends her free time reading and socializing with close friends. Her favorite books are William Powell’s The Anarchist Cookbook, Emily Henry’s Happy Place, and Sir Isaac Newton’s Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica. She enjoys a sun-warmed car on a chilly day, bubble baths, glitter, light in the 380-450 nm range, and ice chips in a dirty martini.

Molly is a graduate student from Rockport Massachusetts. Presently, her research focus revolves around the fragmentation patterns and pathways of biomarkers induced by UV radiation and oxychlorination in simulated martian environments.

Molly spends her free time on the tennis court or at the beach. As the former captain of the Norwich University tennis team, her enduring passion for the game is palpable. Growing up amidst the coastal charm of Rockport, Molly has cultivated a deep affection for the ocean and its vibrant inhabitants.