Dr. Christa D. Peters-Lidard is a hydrologist and internationally recognized leader in land surface modeling and data assimilation, with expertise in integrating remotely sensed precipitation and soil moisture observations into Earth system models. Her research has advanced understanding of land–atmosphere interactions, boundary layer processes, and the representation of water and energy fluxes, with applications spanning weather, climate, and hydrologic prediction.
She is best known for leading the development of NASA’s Land Information System (LIS), a high-performance modeling and data assimilation framework that integrates satellite, airborne, and in situ observations with land models and is widely used in both research and operational environments. Her work has contributed to foundational advances in soil moisture data assimilation and the use of remote sensing to characterize hydrologic states and processes.
At NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Dr. Peters-Lidard served as Director of the Sciences and Exploration Directorate (2023–2025) and previously as Deputy Director (2021–2023) and Deputy Director for Hydrosphere, Biosphere, and Geophysics within the Earth Sciences Division (2015–2021). Earlier roles include Chief of the Hydrological Sciences Laboratory, Physical Scientist, and Assistant Professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Education History
- B.S., Geophysics, Virginia Tech
- M.A., Civil Engineering and Operations Research, Water Resources Program, Princeton University
- Ph.D., Civil Engineering and Operations Research, Water Resources Program, Princeton University
Work Experience
Adjunct Faculty, JHU Whiting School of Engineering, Engineering for Professionals
Publications
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1255-2876
Professional Organizations
National Academy of Engineering
American Geophysical Union
American Meteorological Society
American Association for the Advancement of Science