New and exciting activities in the
McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences
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Recent News from McDonnell Center Fellows
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McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences celebrates 50 years of science and exploration
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A half-century ago, aviation pioneer and former WashU board chair James S. McDonnell announced a $4 million gift (worth nearly $26 million today) to create the McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences (MCSS). Since then, his mission to establish the university and St. Louis as a hub for space exploration and research has been fulfilled many times over. The center now supports the work of over 100 researchers, including more than 40 WashU faculty members.
To celebrate this milestone, we’re highlighting some of the missions and discoveries that put MCSS at the center of space research.
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Brad Jolliff's Retirement Lecture
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On Tuesday evening, Scott Rudolph Professor of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences and Director of the McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences Brad Jolliff presented his retirement lecture and was able to visit with family, friends, colleagues, and former students.
Congratulations, Brad!
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Recent Publications by McDonnell Center Fellows
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Neuman, M., Jolliff, B. L., Wang, K., Carpenter, P., Gillis-Davis, J., et al. (2025). Revealing the Moon’s Taurus‐Littrow landslide via integrated analysis of pristine Apollo 17 soil core 73001/2. Journal of Geophysical Research Planets, 130(4).
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Treiman, A. H., VanBommel, S., Knight, A., et al. (2025). The BRAC/Dourbes Olivine‐Cumulate rock, Séítah formation, Jezero crater floor, Mars: its parent magma, and relation to basalts of the Máaz formation. Journal of Geophysical Research Planets, 130(4).
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Broussard, M., Neuman, M., Jolliff, B. L., Koefoed, P., Korotev, R. L., Wang, K. , et al.(2025). The isotopic variation of K and FE in Apollo 17 Double Drive Tube 73001/2 and implications for regolith history and space weathering. Journal of Geophysical Research Planets, 130(4).
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McDonnell Distinguished Lectures with Priyamvada Natarajan
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The 2025 McDonnell Distinguished Lectures took place on April 23 (colloquium) and April 24 (public lecture) featuring Priyamvada Natarajan.
Dr. Natarajan requested that her colloquium be restricted to the WashU community due to the discussion of her unpublished research results. You can access the recording of her colloquium here with a WashU account.
Unfortunately, the public lecture was not recorded due to a technical difficulty. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
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Graduate Hooding & Recognition Ceremony
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Friday, May 9
3:00 - 5:00pm, Graham Chapel
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| University-Wide Commencement Ceremony
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Monday, May 12
9:00am - 3:00pm, Francis Field
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Exploding and Colliding Stars
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Extreme Planets
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Astronomy on Tap St. Louis
Nicole Osborn & Nathan Whitsett, WashU
Friday, May 16
7:00pm, Urban Chestnut Brewery
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| The Digital Age of Astronomy
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St. Louis Astronomical Society May Meeting
A panel of SLAS members will share their experiences using different types of telescopes
Friday, May 16
7:30pm, Wilson 214
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Gateway to the Future
Celebrating 50 Years of the McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences
May 20-22
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In May 2025, the Center will be celebrating fifty years of playing a key role at Washington University through endowed professorships, acquisition of sophisticated instrumentation, support of faculty involvement in space science missions, supporting postdoctoral and graduate student fellowships and undergraduate interns, seeding innovative research, administering visiting scientist programs, and fostering wide-reaching collaborations.
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Join us as we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences and look ahead to new opportunities to advance knowledge of our Solar System and our universe.
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| McDonnell Center Contacts |
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Compiled and edited by Alison Verbeck. Please send any contributions to alison@wustl.edu.
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© 2025 All rights reserved
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