Sarah T Stewart

Sarah Stewart is a planetary scientist shedding light on planet formation and evolution. Through a combination of shock physics experiments on natural materials (such as ice and rock), theoretical models, and computational simulations, Stewart investigates the effects of high-energy impacts onto planets and planet-like bodies. For example, using ice impact experiments, she demonstrated that the presence of subsurface ice significantly and predictably affects the shape of an impact crater, such that the shapes of craters on planets such as Mars can reveal much about their subsurface composition. Sarah Stewart received an A.B. (1995) from Harvard University and a Ph.D. (2002) from the California Institute of Technology. She was affiliated with Harvard University from 2003 to 2013 before joining the faculty at the University of California at Davis, where she is currently a professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences.