Dr. Jessica Gaskin – NESC Academy Biography

Dr. Gaskin is a Research Astrophysicist at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center where she leads the X-ray Astronomy Group. She is currently on Detail to the NESC as the Deputy to the Technical Fellow for the Sensors and Instrumentation Technical Discipline Team and she is the Deputy Principal Investigator on the LargE Area burst Polarimeter (LEAP) Phase A Explorers Mission of Opportunity study.  She has worked for NASA for over two decades (as a contractor or Civil Servant). Her professional career includes leading, managing and supporting large to small projects across X-ray and gamma-ray astrophysics, and planetary science. Dr. Gaskin’s background is on the development of instrumentation for high-energy astrophysics and planetary missions, and on large mission concept development. She serves on the NASA Astrophysics Advisory Committee for the Astrophysics Division and is an associate editor for the Journal of Astronomical Instrumentation (JAI). A few awards include: NASA Silver Achievement Medal (2021), UAH Alumni of Achievement Award (2020), NASA Group Achievement Award to Astrophysics Large Mission Study Team (2019), NASA MSFC Innovation Peer Award (2019), NASA Federal Women’s Program Outstanding Achievement Award (2018), Science Olympiad – UAH Appreciation Award for 20 years of Service (2018), and the NASA Honor Award for Early Career Achievement Medal (2014).