Bethany L. Ehlmann

Bethany L. Ehlmann is a Professor of Planetary Science at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), holding the Allen V. C. Davis and Lenabelle Davis Leadership Chair at the Keck Institute for Space Studies (KISS). She currently serves as the Director of KISS. Her academic journey includes an A.B. from Washington University in St. Louis (2004), M.Sc. from the University of Oxford (2005), additional M.Sc. (2007), M.S. from Brown University (2008), and a Ph.D. (2010). She joined Caltech as an Assistant Professor in 2011, becoming a full Professor in 2017. From 2011–2020, she was a Research Scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, serving as Associate Director of KISS (2018–2023) before assuming the Director role in 2023.

Her research focuses on remote compositional analysis of planetary surfaces, environmental change on Mars, chemical weathering processes, and the application of remote sensing in planetary science. Key interests include habitability, biomarker preservation, and early Earth environments. She leads studies using infrared spectroscopy and radiative transfer modeling, contributing to missions like Mars 2020 Perseverance and the Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT).

Ehlmann has authored numerous publications, including work on Ceres' geology, Mars' sedimentary environments, and exoplanet surface modeling. She advises students and collaborates on international projects, such as the Oman Drilling Project and the Mars Science Laboratory. Her leadership in KISS supports interdisciplinary space studies and mission development.

Notable contributions include discoveries about Martian mineralogy and climate history, as well as advancements in spectral analysis techniques. Her work bridges laboratory studies, fieldwork, and space missions to address fundamental questions in planetary science and astrobiology.