JAMES B. GARVIN ’78, SCM’81, PHD’84, P’17 is the NASA Goddard chief scientist and principal investigator of the DAVINCI mission to Venus scheduled to launch in June 2029.

“Brown gave me the confidence to explore across academic boundaries— from paleontology and mathematical analysis of computer algorithms to art history and semiotics. The Brown experiences I had from freshman to PhD candidate helped me shape a career of space exploration. Thanks to Brown, my experiment flew in the Space Shuttle (Endeavour), and I was able to experience the joy of the first laser light hitting Mars as well as the Hubble Space Telescope searching the Moon for resources. These are all the stuff of dreams, yet Brown (and fellow Brown students and faculty) helped me pursue such ideas with a hopeful confidence and tenacity to see them fly.

My now 38-year career at NASA was more than catalyzed by my Brown education, and I will forever be grateful for all I learned. And I even got to appear on David Letterman!”