Prof. Maria T Zuber

Maria Zuber’s research focuses on the structure and tectonics of solid solar system objects. She specializes in using gravity and laser altimetry measurements to determine interior structure and evolution and has been involved in more than half a dozen NASA planetary missions aimed at mapping the Moon, Mars, Mercury, as well as several asteroids. She was principal investigator for the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) and as such became the first woman to lead a NASA spacecraft mission.

Zuber received her B.A. in astronomy and geology from the University of Pennsylvania. She also earned Sc.M. and Ph.D. degrees, both in geophysics, from Brown University. Zuber later worked at Johns Hopkins University and served as a research scientist at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. She joined the faculty of MIT in 1995 where, as chair of the Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences between 2003 to 2012, she became the first woman to lead a science department at MIT.

In 2013, following eight years as head of the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences and a leave to lead NASA’s GRAIL mission, Zuber agreed to serve as vice president for research, a post she has held for a decade with distinction.

Her accomplishments include:
(*) Spearheading MIT’s climate change strategy, including Fast Forward: MIT's Climate Action Plan for the Decade, published in 2021
(*) Keeping research enterprise running throughout the pandemic
(*) Leading improvements for numerous labs and centers
(*) Helping institute a systematic, MIT-wide approach to international engagements that present elevated risk and serving as a founding member of our Senior Risk Group (SRG)
(*) Improving support, recognition and career pathways for postdocs and research scientists
(*) Helping to stand up the Office of Research Computing and Data (ORCD)
(*) Leading a multiyear effort to streamline MIT’s research administration, including the creation of the Office of Strategic Alliances and Technology Transfer (OSATT) and Research Administration Services (RAS).

Beyond this direct service to MIT, in her career Zuber has served four U.S. presidents. In the last decade, she has played an increasingly influential role in shaping national science policy, in particular as a member of the National Science Board (2013–18), including two years as chair, and, since 2021, in her White House role as co-chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST).