NASA chief scientist Ellen Stofan has left the agency for pursuing "new adventures". This has been officially confirmed in an exit interview posted online.
NASA was also silent on a new candidate for the top post or a plan for the interim.
Stofan left her responsibilities around Dec. 20. In fact, she gave a hint while speaking at National Academies' Space Studies Board symposium in California. The NASA official joked when her name plate fell off the podium.
"I am leaving in two weeks, so I guess that falling sign is some indication of that."
Stofan took over as the chief scientist on Aug. 25, 2013. The timing of her departure coincides with the new presidential administration getting ready to take charge. This leaves questions about NASA's future and how its budget will shape up under the new administration.
Expert In Earth Sciences
As Chief Scientist, Stofan served as the principal advisor to NASA Administrator Charles Bolden over the agency's science programs and investments. Before taking up the role Stofan was vice president of Proxemy Research in Laytonsville and was an honorary professor at University College London in the department of Earth Sciences.
Stofan's research has a high focus on the geology of Mars, Venus, Titan, and Earth. Her role as an associate member of the Cassini Mission to Saturn Radar Team was significant.
Search For Extraterrestrial Life
In the exit interview, Stofan described the search for extraterrestrial life as the most exciting scientific endeavor that NASA is currently undertaking.
There is hope that the quest may be answered on Mars, or in Jupiter's moon Europa or at some alien planet spotted by Kepler telescope.
Stofan also highlighted the merit in introducing a system of voluntary demographic data on grant proposals as a big reform.
"Implicit or unconscious bias is all around us; we may act on deep-seated biases that we don't even know we have. The first step in dealing with bias is seeing if you have a problem, and that is what the data collection will tell us," she said.
Ocean Worlds
Stofan said, as a geologist, she is excited in exploring Titan — one of the moons of Saturn — where rains form rivers, lakes, and seas. However, the liquid is actually just a liquid methane and ethane.
According to Stofan, Titan is the place to explore and understand how oceans and atmospheres interact and expand on the limits of life.
