2026 Speakers

Tiffany Kataria, Ph.D.

Dr. Tiffany Kataria is a Research Scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Her research spans astrobiology, 3D atmospheric circulation, and climate dynamics, utilizing theoretical models to map weather patterns and investigate habitability on distant worlds. A Ph.D. graduate from the University of Arizona, she serves as Deputy Science Lead for the PRIMA Phase A study, works on the Pre-Formulation Project Science Team for the Habitable Worlds Observatory, and leads observing programs using space telescopes like JWST. Dedicated to supporting early-career researchers, she also chairs the NASA ExoExplorers program, serves as a science mentor for the NASA Astrophysics Mission Design School, and actively mentors students and postdocs.

Kirsten Siebach, Ph.D.

Dr. Kirsten Siebach is an Assistant Professor in the Rice University Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences and calls herself a Martian Geologist. She researches the intersection of igneous and sedimentary processes on Mars and at analog sites on Earth. She has been actively supporting Mars spacecraft observations for the last 18 years; she is currently a member of the Science and Operations Teams for the Mars 2020 rover Perseverance and the Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity, and previously worked on the Phoenix Lander and the two Mars Exploration Rovers. Dr. Siebach has authored over 50 scientific publications and has received several NASA Achievement Awards and the AAPG Harrison Schmidt Award for this work. She completed her PhD in Geology at Caltech with Professor John Grotzinger and her Bachelor's degree in Earth and Planetary Science and Chemistry at Washington University in St Louis. She is actively engaged in promoting education and outreach related to Earth and Planetary science and enjoys travel, jigsaw puzzles, and photography (on Earth as well as Mars).

Elizabeth Spiers, Ph.D.

Dr. Elizabeth Spiers is a Research Associate at the University of Texas at Austin Institute for Geophysics, where she studies whether the oceans hidden beneath the icy surfaces of moons like Europa could support life — and what Earth's own oceans can teach us about that question. She earned her Ph.D. from the Georgia Institute of Technology, where her research modeled potential chemical energy sources within Europa's ice-covered ocean, and holds dual B.S. degrees in Applied Physics and Planetary Science from Purdue University. She is a professional affiliate on NASA's Europa Clipper mission, launched to investigate whether Europa's ocean could be habitable, and has contributed to the design of several other planetary mission concepts. Her research combines computer modeling with hands-on lab and field experiments, including a recent postdoctoral appointment at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, where she studied processes in Earth's oceans to better understand how oceans might work on other worlds.