I am a research scientist at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). To unravel the complexity of Solar System formation, I use spectroscopy. Using a variety of telescope and laboratory spectroscopic techniques, I can determine the composition and physical properties of rocky objects like asteroids and the Moon. I have been a collaborator on NASA’s Lucy mission to the Trojan Asteroids since 2017. In 2023, the International Astronomical Union named asteroid (28798) AudreyMartin in recognition of my contributions to planetary science.
My academic journey began at Saint Louis University (SLU), where I received a Bachelor of Science in Physics with a minor in Geology in 2015. In 2013, I participated in the NSF’s Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) at Columbia University, where I searched for dark matter in the galactic center, and gained a love for space sciences. After taking some geology classes back at SLU, I decided to pursue a PhD. in Planetary Science – the intersection of geological and space sciences. I began graduate school at the University of Tennessee before transferring to Northern Arizona University with my graduate advisor, Dr. Joushua Emery, where I ultimately received my PhD. in 2022. Then I joined the research groups of Dr. Kerri Donaldson Hanna and Dr. Dan Britt as a Postdoctoral Scholar at the University of Central Florida for three years.
In addition to research, I am an active science communicator and enjoy outreach activities. I’ve been interviewed on NPR and NASA TV, and I’m a co-host the astronomy podcast, Walkabout the Galaxy, where space science is explored with curiosity and humor!
Analog research with experimental rover in Yellowcat, UT.
Canyon Diablo meteorite, Meteor Crater, AZ.
Post Lucy spacecraft launch NASA TV interview, Cocoa Beach, FL.