Dr. Joel Hurowitz is a Director's Fellow at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, working in the Planetary Science and Life Detection Section. His research interests deal with:

1. Understanding the origin and evolution of martian soils and sedimentary rocks by exploring the relevant fluid-rock reactions which control the alteration of primary igneous mineral phases and the formation of secondary minerals on Mars.
2. Exploring the causes of mineral surface reactivity in planetary settings in order to understand the enigmatic reactivity of Martian soil samples analyzed by the Viking landers, and the potential toxicity of reactive planetary soils to humans making extended visits to the surfaces of the Moon and Mars.

Joel has also worked extensively on the Mars Exploration Rover mission as a member of the Athena science team.

• B.S. Geology, State University of New York at Albany (1996)
• M.S. Earth and Space Sciences, State University of New York at Stony Brook (2001)
• Ph.D. Geosciences, State University of New York at Stony Brook (2006)

• Planetary geology, planetary exploration
• Mineral surface reactivity and toxicity
• Sedimentary geochemistry
• Aqueous geochemistry (experimental/theoretical)
• Trace element and isotope geochemistry
• Analytical chemistry

• Project Science Specialist, Mars Exploration Rover Mission (2008-Present)
• Director's Fellow, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (2007-Present)
• Caltech Postdoctoral Scholar at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (2006-2007)
• NASA Planetary Sciences Summer School, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (2004)
• Hydrogeologist, Leggette, Brashears, & Graham, Inc. (1996-1998)

• NASA Group Achievement Award for the Mars Exploration Rover Second Extended Mission Team (2005)
• NASA Group Achievement Award for the Mars Exploration Rover First Extended Mission Team (2004)
• Honorable Mention, Stephen E. Dwornik Planetary Geoscience Student Paper Award, 35th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, Houston, TX Planetary Geology Division of the Geological Society of America (2004)