Melissa Battler, SSP 2013



Melissa Battler attained her PhD in 2013 from Western University's Centre for Planetary Science and Exploration (CPSX) in London, Canada, where she studied the mineralogy of Canadian Arctic cold springs and the detection of spring deposits on Mars. She holds an Honours BSc (Earth Sciences) from the University of Waterloo, an MSc (Geology) from the University of New Brunswick, and a diploma in University Teaching. Melissa attended the Space Studies Program at the International Space University (2013) and NASA Ames Astrobiology Academy (2004), founded four space advocacy groups (2001 – 2008), was President of Mars Society Canada (2005 – 2007) and was a Canadian Space Agency Student Ambassador for 10 years. She led a four month Mars mission simulation at the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station on Devon Island in the Canadian High Arctic, and has led seven crews at the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah, USA from 2003 until present. Her goals include promoting space exploration activities within Canada and throughout the world, inspiring and training future astronauts, and continuing the search for life on Mars; preferably as an astronaut herself. She is currently working as Senior Academic Program Designer at CPSX, developing graduate and undergraduate courses and programs in Planetary Science and Space Exploration. In her spare time Melissa enjoys yoga, hiking, camping, playing guitar, rock climbing, Rockband, (and rocks in general), and spending time with her fiancé, dog and cat.