Sarah T. Stewart, Ph.D.

Bio:
Sarah T. Stewart is a professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at the University of California, Davis. Her research interests include the formation and evolution of planetary bodies with a focus on collisional processes. Previously, Dr. Stewart was a professor of earth and planetary sciences at Harvard University. She received a Ph.D. in planetary sciences from the California Institute of Technology. Dr. Stewart is a recipient of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers and the Urey Prize from the Division for Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society. She is the current president of the Planetary Sciences section of the American Geophysical Union.

SCOL Project: Impact-Driven Chemistry and its Role in the Surface Environment of the Early Earth

We propose to conduct laboratory experiments and numerical simulations of impact processes on the early Earth. An improved understanding of impact-driven chemical processes will address questions related to the range of surface environments and chemical conditions on the early Earth (and other planets); the potential for prebiotic synthesis during impact processes and in post-impact environments; and understanding which components of the impact- cratering process aid or hinder forming favorable environments.