Misericordia University dean shares NASA and Mars rover stories at free talk on Nov. 5
From a press release:
Heidi L.K. Manning, Ph.D., dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Misericordia University in Dallas, will share stories about her work with NASA and new discoveries from the “big Mars rover” during a talk presented by the Friends of the Mary Kintz Bevevino Library on Tuesday, Nov. 5 from 5 p.m.-7 p.m.
The free program, “Seven Years of Big Mars Science from the Big Mars Rover: Updates on the New Discoveries Made by the Curiosity Rover on Mars,” will be in the Catherine Evans McGowan Room on the third floor of the Bevevino Library. Light refreshments will be served.
As a visiting research scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in 2006 and again in 2012-2013, Dr. Manning participated in the development of the sample analysis at the Mars instrument suite for the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover and then participated in the data analysis from that instrument. She also served as a visiting fellow at the Goddard Space Flight Center and worked on the development and calibration of the Cassini Orbiter Ion and Neutral Mass Spectrometer, which orbited Saturn to investigate the atmospheric composition of Saturn and its moons.
She previously served as professor and chair of the Department of Physics at Concordia College in Minnesota. She became dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Misericordia University in 2017.
Dr. Manning presented at TEDx Fargo in 2013 and at TEDx Concordia in 2017. She also spoke on planetary exploration and education at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America in 2014. She holds a doctorate in physics from the University of Minnesota and a Bachelor of Arts in physics, cum laude, from Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota. A native of Moorhead, Minnesota, she now lives in Dallas Township.
The program is open to the public. Reservations are suggested, but are not required. To reserve a seat, e-mail Sue Lazur at slazur@misericordia.edu or call 570-674-6225.
Founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1924, Misericordia University (301 Lake St., Dallas) is Luzerne County’s first four-year college and offers 56 academic programs on the graduate and undergraduate levels in full and part-time formats. Misericordia ranks in the top tier of the Best Regional Universities – North category of U.S. News and World Report’s 2019 edition of Best Colleges and was designated a 2019 Best Northeastern College by the Princeton Review. Money magazine also includes Misericordia in its 2018-19 “Best Colleges” list.
