BELLINGHAM, Wash. — A WWU professor has been awarded a grant to support her continued involvement with the Mars Rover program.

Dr. Melissa Rice leads the Mars Lab team of planetary geology researchers in the Science and Engineering school at Western.

Now, Rice has been awarded a $144,982 grant from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory covering Mars-2020 Mission Long-Term Planner Phase E.

Western Communications says the grant covers organizing and leading science discussions, taking part in the science strategic process discussions prior to the rover landing and throughout surface operations and participating in weekly meetings after the landing of the Perseverance Rover in February 2021.

The Mars Lab team led by Rice has been working with NASA on the Curiosity Rover mission already on Mars.