B. Gentry Lee

1. Gentry Lee is chief engineer for the Solar System Exploration Directorate at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California. In that position, Lee is responsible for the engineering integrity of all the robotic planetary missions managed by JPL for NASA. His extensive portfolio includes the engineering oversight of the Curiosity rover mission to Mars in August 2012, the Dawn mission to the asteroids Vesta and Ceres, the Juno mission to Jupiter, and the GRAIL missions to the Moon. He also contributed to the Phoenix mission that landed in the Martian arctic in May 2008 and the successful Mars Exploration Rovers project, which landed on Mars in January 2004. Further, Lee was involved in NASA’s Deep Impact mission, where a robotic spacecraft collided with comet Tempel 1 in the summer of 2005.

Lee was chief engineer for the Galileo project from 1977-1988 and, after working in a variety of positions on the Viking project from 1968-76, was Director of Science Analysis and Mission Planning during the Viking operations. The historic Viking mission marked humanity’s first successful landing on another planet. His earlier work also provided guidance for NASA’s Stardust missions, showcasing his ability to balance the advantages of innovation against the inherent risks in space mission engineering.

In addition to his engineering career, Lee is a successful science fiction novelist, a futurist, a computer product designer, media columnist, lecturer, and television performer/narrator. Between 1989 and 1994, he co-authored four novels, "Cradle," "Rama II," "The Garden of Rama," and "Rama Revealed," with Arthur C. Clarke. All four books achieved New York Times bestseller status and were translated into over twenty-five languages. Post collaboration with Clarke, Lee penned solo novels including "Bright Messengers," "Double Full Moon Night," and "The Tranquility Wars." His work in media also includes partnering with Carl Sagan on the "Cosmos" series, which won several Emmys and the prestigious Peabody Award, and he was the featured performer/narrator in "Are We Alone?", a two-hour Discovery Channel documentary about life in the solar system.

Lee’s accolades include the NASA Medal for Exceptional Scientific Achievement in 1976, the Distinguished Service Medal in 2005, the Harold Masursky Award from the American Astronomical Society in 2006, the Al Seiff Memorial Award in 2014, and the Simon Ramo Medal by the IEEE in 2013 for career excellence in engineering. He holds a BA, summa cum laude, from the University of Texas at Austin, and an MS from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Globally, Lee lectures on topics related to the future, space, and science and technology, focusing on extraterrestrial life, planetary exploration, and the importance of science literacy, enhancing the learning experience for attendees with his engaging talks and infectious enthusiasm.