Eyes on the Earth: An Interdisciplinary Scientific Path for a Better World

Join alumnus Jack Kaye ’76, PhD for a conversation exploring his remarkable career at NASA, followed by a multidisciplinary panel on the “Pulse of Our Planet”, which explores how science serves as a public good and the essential role the scientific community plays in supporting society.

Be sure to submit any questions you might have for Dr. Kaye in advance with your registration to be included in the discussion.

• 6:15pm – 6:45pm: Hard Sciences, Soft Skills: Why Your Work Matters More When People Understand It
• 6:45pm – 7:30pm: Panel Discussion: An Interdisciplinary Scientific Path for a Better World

About the Speaker

Jack A. Kaye ’76, PhD

Jack A. Kaye retired April 30, 2025 after a 41+ year career at NASA as a researcher, program manager, and executive at NASA. He started as a stratospheric ozone researcher at the Goddard Space Flight Center in 1983, joined Headquarters to manage the Atmospheric Composition Modeling and Analysis Program in 1990, and was promoted to run NASA’s Earth Science research program in 1999. In this role he managed a budget of some $500M/year providing scientific oversight of NASA’s research in all components of Earth System Science as well as enabling activities in airborne science, scientific computing, space geodesy, early career research, and education.

He has been the recipient of numerous awards, including a “Special ESA Award” from the European Space Agency in 2025, a Lifetime Contribution Award from the Globel Energy and Water Exchange (GEWEX) program of the World Climate Research Programme in 2024, the NASA-US Geological Survey (USGS) Pecora Award (Individual) in 2024, the NASA Distinguished Service Medal in 2022, and three Meritorious Senior Executive awards from the Office of Personnel Management.

He was elected as a Fellow by American Meteorological Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science and was also made an Honorary Member of the Asia Oceania Geoscience Society. He has played a leadership role in interagency coordination of Earth Science effort; he was NASA’s long-time principal for the US Global Change Research Program, and representative to (and chair for one year) of the Interdepartmental Committee for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research. He was a founding co-chair of the Committee on Research and Innovation of the Interagency Council to Advance Meteorological Services. Internationally, he chaired the World Meteorological Organization’s Expert Team on Satellite Systems and then served as vice chair of its Expert Team on Space Systems and Utilization and was active in bilateral and multilateral efforts in remote sensing and climate research, including serving as NASA co-chair for the calibration/validation subgroup of the NASA-European Space Agency Joint Planning Program Group and as NASA’s long-time lead for its participation in the Coordination Group on Meteorological Satellites.

He has been very involved in professional societies, including having volunteer roles for the American Geophysical Union, the American Meteorological Society, the American Association for Advancement of Science, and the American Chemical Society. He has degrees in chemistry from Adelphi University (BA, 1976) and the California Institute of Technology (PhD, 1982) and did post-doctoral work at the US Naval Research Laboratory. He was born in Brooklyn and raised in Malverne, LI. He is married to the former Dawn Bressler, and has three daughters and four granddaughters. 

This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.

This event is sponsored by the Chemistry Department’s Dakin Memorial Lecture fund and the College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s office.

About the Dakin Memorial Lecture

This lecture celebrates the work and achievements of chemist Henry Drysdale Dakin and has brought to campus world-renowned speakers, including Nobel Prize-winners, to inspire students and young scientists.