:: BACKGROUND

The future of Astrobiology research demands that scientists be educated across traditional academic programs. Training the next generation of Astrobiologists will require an interdisiplinary approach. Beginning in the fall of 1998, ASU began offering courses that form the core of a degree concentration in Astrobiology. ASU's Astrobiology Program is an interdisciplinary program of study and research that offers exciting opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students who seek a high-level academic experience. Currently the program supports 2 Ph.D., 5 Masters candidates, 3 Post Docs, 4 research staff, and 6 undergraduate students. Longer-term goals include offering a Bachelor of Inter-Disciplinary Studies in Astrobiology.

The current Astrobiology program includes faculty researchers and students at all levels from the Departments of Geological Sciences, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Biology, and Microbiology and Plant Biology. ASU's Astrobiology Program is also supported by affiliated programs in Astronomy, Aerospace Engineering and Biotechnology. Supporting instrumentation facilities at ASU include labs for electron microscopy, the Mars Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) facility which is actively engaged in Mars exploration, the Space Photography Laboratory (SPL) which is a national data archive for planetary exploration, analytical geochemistry facilities at the Center for Solid State Science and in the departments of Geological Sciences and Chemistry, as well as advanced computing facilities in ASU's Center for Information Technology.

Students are able to complete the course requirements and earn a concentration in Astrobiology that may be attached to degrees from one or more of the participating departments. These courses, offered on a rotating schedule, are cross-listed at upper division undergraduate and graduate levels.

:: COURSES

During the spring 2004 semester, Dr. Jack Farmer along with Dr. Ronald Greeley and Dr. Philip Christensen will jointly instruct a seminar course "Mars Exploration Rovers (MER)" for graduate students that will coincide with the MER mission. Drs. Farmer, Greeley and Christensen are all key scientists in the MER mission and will be instructing the class remotely via video conferencing when at mission control. Students will participate in the mission by conduct research with data received from the rovers and be able to gain insight into the evolution of the surface of Mars.

Previously in the spring 2002 semester, Dr. Jack Farmer will instructed a seminar course "Special Topics in Geology" that is cross-listed in Biology, Microbiology, Chemistry and Astronomy. In the spring 2000 semester, Dr. Farmer instructed "Introduction to Astrobiology" which provided a topical exploration of NASA's Astrobiology Roadmap. Both of these course formats alternate between in-class discussions (based on assigned journal papers) and guest lectures (via video-conference) from U.S. scientists in NASA's Astrobiology Institute.

:: KUDOS

The Astrobiology Program at ASU was a founding member of NASA's Astrobiology Institute (NAI). This is a "virtual" institute that has state-of-the-art electronic connections among its members allowing for audio/video conferencing and "real-time" internet presentations. This innovative solution bridges the distance between institutions, allowing members to share information and coordinate efforts in a "face-to-face" environment. The technology also allows institutions to collaborate on academic courses and provide them through "distance learning."

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has named ASU a Research 1 University. This designation places ASU on a prestigious list with only eight other universities nationally to achieve Research 1 status without either an agriculture or medical school.