Scott McLennan

Scott McLennan is a Distinguished Toll Professor at Stony Brook University, specializing in planetary geochemistry and Mars geology. Since 1987, he has been a faculty member and has participated in numerous Mars missions, including Spirit, Opportunity, Curiosity, Perseverance, and InSight.

• Education: B.Sc.(Hon) and M.Sc. from the University of Western Ontario (1975, 1977), Ph.D. from Australian National University (1981)
• Key Roles: Research Fellow (Australian National University, 1981-1986); Visiting positions at Caltech, Wrocław University, Lamont-Doherty, Oxford, and ETH Zürich

McLennan’s research focuses on evaluating planetary crusts and surficial processes using sedimentary rock compositions. His work integrates geochemical, mineralogical, and seismic data to model Mars' crustal evolution and surface environments.

His recent publications emphasize Martian crustal modeling, seismic structure analysis, and rover mission data interpretation. Articles span topics like:

• Isotopic and geochemical constraints on Mars composition
• Sedimentary provenance in Jezero and Gale craters
• Crustal differentiation and mantle composition
• Seismic wave propagation and crustal thickness
• Geochemical implications for exoplanetary systems

Scientific awards include:

• Geoscience Information Society's 2010 Award for Best Reference Work for the book Planetary Crusts: Their Composition, Origin, and Evolution

McLennan has supervised approximately 20 students and postdocs on Mars-related research. He contributed to mission planning for Curiosity and Perseverance, integrating geochemical data with seismic findings from InSight.