Dr. Tanya Harrison is a planetary scientist, future-focused science strategist, author, and one of the world’s go-to voices on Mars and space exploration. She is currently a Fellow of the Outer Space Institute and the Director of Earth and Space Science at Mission Control in Ottawa, Canada.
Dr. Tanya Harrison started out her career as a “Professional Martian,” working in science and mission operations on multiple NASA missions to Mars, including the Opportunity, Curiosity, and Perseverance rovers, and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Bridging worlds, as well as sectors in the space ecosystem, Tanya was previously the Director of Strategic Science Initiatives, and later Director of Science for Impact, at the Earth observation satellite and data company Planet, and the Director of Research for Arizona State University’s NewSpace Initiative. She is currently a Fellow of the Outer Space Institute and Director of Earth and Space Science at Mission Control.
Tanya holds a Ph.D. in Geology with a Specialization in Planetary Science and Exploration from the University of Western Ontario. There, her research focused on the formation and evolution of features on Mars called gullies, and what they can tell us about the recent climate history of the Red Planet. She also holds a Masters in Earth and Environmental Sciences from Wesleyan University where she studied spectroscopy of hydrated minerals on Mars, and a B.Sc. in Astronomy and Physics from the University of Washington where she studied the metallicity of star clusters and recurring novae systems. Her honours include two NASA Group Achievement Awards, the Amelia Earhart Fellowship for women in aerospace and the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship, Canada’s most prestigious doctoral award. She was also named one of Via Satellite’s Young People to Watch of 2018, and a Future Space Leader in 2019. In 2023, she was inducted into The Explorers Club as part of the EC50 list, an annual selection of “extraordinary people who are doing remarkable work to promote science and exploration.”
Passionate about increasing inclusion and accessibility in the space sector based on her own experiences as a queer person with Crohn’s Disease and Ankylosing Spondylitis, Tanya co-founded the Zed Factor Fellowship to connect students from historically excluded backgrounds with paid internships in aerospace. She has also been an active mentor for students through groups such as the Students for the Exploration and Development of Space, the Zenith Canada Pathways Fellowship, and the Brooke Owens Fellowship. She also served on the Board of Directors for the American Geophysical Union from 2023-2024, where she advocated for the needs of early career union members and brought an industry perspective to the board.
Tanya currently lives in Ottawa, Canada, but often inhabits trains as she explores the world.