James B. Garvin

James B Garvin served as NASA's Chief Scientist from October 2004 - September 2005 and is known for his foundational work in NASA's Mars explorational programs.

Garvin arrived at the Goddard Space Flight Center since 1984 where he first served as a staff scientist developing remote sensing instrumentation and has been based there or at the nearby NASA headquarters in Washington D.C. since then. His career has spanned disciplines as Earth system science, Mars Exploration, lunar exploration, Venus, asteroids, and the outer planets. He remains co-investigator on NASA's Mars Global Surveyor, Canada's Radarsat, and ESA's Envisat missions.

Garvin was born in Poughkeepsie, New York and attended Brown University graduating with a bachelor of science degree in Computer Science in 1978. He earned his Masters of Science also in Computer Science from Stanford and returned to Brown where he earned his Masters of Science and PhD in planetary geological sciences 1984. He lives with his wife and two children in Columbia, Maryland.

Awards and recognition
Garvin was twice awarded NASA Outstanding Leadership medals for his work on the science strategy behind NASA's Mars Exploration Program. He was also awarded the 2004 William Rogers Award from Brown University for his contributions to society.