Maria Zuber

Maria Zuber is the E.A. Griswold Professor of Geophysics at MIT and has served as MIT’s Vice President for Research since 2013. She is a renowned geophysicist specializing in planetary structure and evolution, with a focus on gravitational studies and laser altimetry to map celestial bodies like the Moon, Mars, Mercury, and asteroids. Zuber made history as the first woman to lead a NASA spacecraft mission (GRAIL) and the first woman to chair MIT’s Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences (2003–2012).

• Education: BA in astronomy and geology (University of Pennsylvania, 1980), Sc.M. and PhD in geophysics (Brown University, 1983 and 1986)

Her research bridges planetary geophysics and space-based technologies, contributing to over nine NASA planetary missions since 1990. As Vice President for Research, she oversees interdisciplinary centers like the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and the Plasma Science and Fusion Center. Zuber has received prestigious awards including the American Geophysical Union’s Harry H. Hess Medal (2012) and the MIT Killian Faculty Achievement Award (2013). She also co-chaired the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) under the Biden administration, marking a milestone as the first woman to hold this role.

• Key Affiliations: National Science Board (member 2012–; chair 2016–2019), National Academy of Sciences (member since 2004)
• Leadership in NASA missions: GRAIL (principal investigator), Mars Global Surveyor, MESSENGER, and others