Samiah Moustafa

Affiliation: Bay Area Environmental Research Institute (BAERI)

Branch: Biospheric Science Branch (SGE)

Email: Samiah.moustafa@nasa.gov / moustafa@baeri.org

Professional Biography

Dr. Samiah Moustafa (she/her) is Associate Director for Research and Educational Development at Bay Area Environmental Research Institute (BAERI)/NASA Ames Research Center (SGE Branch). Dr. Moustafa is experienced in managing Earth System Science research programs, conducting research, teaching, education, and outreach coordination. She has 10+ years’ experience in scientific research including Cryospheric Sciences, High latitude Change, Hydroclimatology, Geospatial Sciences, intensive field work in extreme environments (including the Greenland Ice Sheet), presentation of scientific findings at national Earth Science and Geography conferences, and several publications in peer-reviewed journals including The Cryosphere and Remote Sensing of Environment. Broad expertise in the Earth Sciences, including the Climate, Environmental, Geographical, and Geospatial Sciences. Demonstrated record of teaching and research excellence. 5+ years of leading, managing, and program building as Visiting Professor in an interdisciplinary Environmental Institute at Brown University and program management expertise, including development and implementation of summer research programs for students at NASA, including the Student Airborne Research Program (SARP) and FireSage (a partnership with NASA Ames and San Jose State University).

Education

PhD., Physical Geography, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

BS, Environmental Science and Geography (minor), University of Florida

Research Interests

Earth System Science, Glaciology, Hydrology, Climate Change Science, Science Communication, STEM Education

Select Publications

2021: M. G. Cooper, L. C. Smith, A. K. Rennermalm, M. Tedesco, R. Muthyala, S. Z. Leidman, S. E. Moustafa, and J. V. Fayne, accepted, (2021), Spectral attenuation coefficients from measurements of light transmission in bare ice on the Greenland Ice Sheet, The Cryosphere, 15, 1931–1953, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-1931-2021. 

2021: Pierce, E.*, S. E. Moustafa, J. Mustard, D. van As, in prep., (2021), Evaluating the spatial variability of albedo in the ablation zone of the Greenland ice sheet, Remote Sensing.

2021: Moustafa, S. E., A. K. Rennermalm, D. van As, I. Overeem, M. Tedesco, T. Mote, L. S. Koenig, L. C. Smith, B. Hagerdorn, R. Sletten, A. B. Mikkelsen, B. Hasholt, D. K. Hall, X. Fettweis, L. H. Pitcher, and A. Hubbard, in prep., (2021), Part I: Comparison of modelled runoff with observed proglacial discharge across the western margin of the Greenland ice sheet, Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface.

2019: (**co-signatory) MacFerrin, M. (2019). Next generation of polar researchers agree on three priorities. Nature, 570(7759), 36-37. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-019-01718-1 

2017: Moustafa, S. E., A. K. Rennermalm, M. O. Roman, Z. Wang, C. B. Schaaf, L. C. Smith, L. S. Koenig, and A. Erb, (2017), Evaluation of satellite remote sensing albedo retrievals over the ablation area of the southwestern Greenland ice sheet, Remote Sensing of Environment, 198, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2017.05.030. *This work was nominated and featured on the Ladies of Landsat Manuscript Monday series.

2016: Moustafa, S. E., Rennermalm, A. K., Mioduszewsk, J. R., Smith, L. C.: Spectral and broadband albedo transects in the lower ablation zone, Southwest Greenland, June 2013, PANGAEA, doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.867917, 2016. 

2015: Koenig, L. S., Lampkin, D. J., Montgomery, L. N., Hamilton, S. L., Turrin, J. B., Joseph, C. A., Moustafa, S. E., Panzer, B., Casey, K. A., Paden, J. D., Leuschen, C., and Gogineni, P.: Wintertime storage of water in buried supraglacial lakes across the Greenland Ice Sheet, The Cryosphere, 9, 1333-1342, doi:10.5194/tc-9-1333-2015, 2015.

2015: Moustafa, M. Z., Moustafa, Z. Q., Moustafa, M. S., Moustafa, S. E., & Moustafa, Z. D.. Survival of High Latitude Fringing Corals in Extreme Temperatures: Red Sea Meteorology. International Journal of Environmental Research, 9(3), 1011-1022.

2015: Moustafa, S. E., Rennermalm, A. K., Smith, L. C., Miller, M. A., Mioduszewski, J. R., Koenig, L. S., Hom, M. G., and Shuman, C. A.: Multi-modal albedo distributions in the ablation area of the southwestern Greenland Ice Sheet, The Cryosphere, 9, 905-923, doi:10.5194/tc-9-905-2015, 2015.

2015: L. C. Smith, V. W. Chu, K. Yang, C. J. Gleason, L. H. Pitcher, A. K. Rennermalm, C. J. Legleiter, A. E. Behar, B. T. Overstreet, S. E. Moustafa, M. Tedesco, R. R. Forster, A. L. LeWinter, D. C. Finnegan, Y. Sheng, and J. Balog. Efficient meltwater drainage through supraglacial streams and rivers on the southwest Greenland ice sheet. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, doi:10.1073/pnas.1413024112. 

2014: Rennermalm, A. K., L. C. Smith, V. W. Chu, S. E. Moustafa, L. Pitcher, C. Gleason. Proglacial River Dataset from the Akuliarusiarsuup Kuua River Northern Tributary, Southwest Greenland, 2008 – 2013, version 2.0. PANGAEA, http://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.838812, 2014. 

2014: Moustafa, M. Z., Moustafa, M. S., Moustafa, Z. D., & Moustafa, S. E. Survival of high latitude fringing corals in extreme temperatures: Red Sea oceanography. Journal of Sea Research, 88, 144-151.

2013: Rennermalm, A. K., S. E. Moustafa, J. Mioduszewski, V. W. Chu, R. R. Forster, B. Hagedorn, J. T. Harper, T. L. Mote, D. A. Robinson, C.S. Schuman, L. C. Smith, and M. Tedesco, 2013: Understanding Greenland ice sheet hydrology using an integrated multi-scale approach, Environmental Research Letters, 8(1), 015017, doi:10.1088/1748-9326/8/1/015017. 

2013: Rennermalm, A. K., Smith, L. C., Chu, V. W., Box, J. E., Forster, R. R., Van den Broeke, M. R., Van As, D., and Moustafa, S. E.: Evidence of meltwater retention within the Greenland ice sheet, The Cryosphere, 7, 1433-1445, doi:10.5194/tc-7-1433-2013, 2013. 

2012: Rennermalm, A. K., J. Mioduszewski, & S. Moustafa, 2012. Breaking the ice: Theorizing the mechanisms of Arctic thaw. Eos Transactions American Geophysical Union, 93(42), 416. doi:10.1029/2012EO420006. 

Press Releases/ Websites

https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-awards-inaugural-grants-to-support-emerging-research-institutions/

https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/program-manager-samiah-moustafa/