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Pascale Ehrenfreund

Professor of Political Science and International Affairs

1957 E Street, NW Suite 403

Washington, D.C. 20052

Phone: (202) 994-1640
Fax: (202) 994-1639
E-mail: pehren@gwu.edu

Education:

Ph.D., University of Paris VII/ University of Vienna

Expertise:

Astrobiology, Space Science

Background:

Dr. Ehrenfreund is currently Research Professor of Space Policy and International Affairs at the Space Policy Institute at The George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs. While at the Space Policy Institute, Dr. Ehrenfreund will manage a NASA grant on "The Policy Aspects of Astrobiology." In particular, she will develop concepts based on recent scientific data on how ecosystems respond to rapid rates of change and examine possible directions by which the Earth and its biosphere (including humans) will co-evolve in the future. She will also develop concepts for managing international space collaboration in the next decades in the framework of cross-cultural management.

During the last decade, Dr. Ehrenfreund was Professor at Nijmegen, Leiden and Amsterdam Universities in The Netherlands. Since 2001, she led the Astrobiology Laboratory at Leiden Institute of Chemistry and investigated organic matter in the interstellar medium and in solar system bodies, including planetary surfaces, comets and meteorites. She served as Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator on many different NASA/ESA space missions, including satellites, planetary probes and experiments on the International Space Station. She has been strongly involved in the definition of the European Exploration program Aurora, being a member of the European Space Agency's Exploration Scientific Experts Group (ESEG) and chair of the Life Science Panel of the European Space Science Committee (ESSC). She has served since 2001 as the Vice President of the European Astrobiology Network Association (EANA) and has been deeply involved in promoting Astrobiology within Europe in the last decade. She has organized numerous international conferences, edited ten books and chaired research teams in Europe and in the United States. Dr. Ehrenfreund served as European representative to the U.S. Space Studies Board Committee on the Origins and Evolution of Life.

As University Professor (affiliated with several universities in Europe), Dr. Ehrenfreund was involved in education and public outreach and authored and co-authored more than 200 scientific and popular publications covering a wide variety of topics. She has served on several committees dealing with space strategy issues. She has also served on advisory bodies of the European Space Agency as member of the Life and Physical Science Advisory Committee (LPSAC), the Life Science Working Group (LSWG), and on space exploration policy as member of the ESF/ESSC and of ESEG. She is a corresponding member of the International Academy of Astronautics and Vice Chair of the COSPAR panel PEX (Panel on Space Exploration).

Dr. Ehrenfreund holds a masters degree in Molecular Biology from the University of Vienna, a doctorate in Astrophysics from the University of Paris VII/ University of Vienna (Austria), a habilitation in Astrochemistry from the University of Vienna and a masters degree in Management & Leadership from Webster University in Leiden (The Netherlands).

Last update: 07.25.08